Black Wings my Dark Received
by Clouded-Days
Summary: What happens when Ryou keeps finding pitch black feathers in his house and wounds keep appearing on Bakura? And when there's constant disappearences with the Yami spirit and a sudden change in personality, what does Ryou do? COMPLETE!
1. The Black Feather

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

This is from Ryou's POV, just so you know. Updates will come quick, so be on the look out! Anyway, on with the story...

* * *

I hated having him as a Yami at times, especially when the time of war between us occurred time after time. I didn't like fighting him; I wasn't that type of person. Of course, he was; and too often he beat me. But I grew afraid of arguing with him now about control, ever since the last time. I didn't want to feel that type of pain again…

I knew I was stuck with Bakura until the day I died, unless there was a way to get rid of him, but I knew he wouldn't tell me. He was like that; making me figure things out by myself.

I was in my room with the door open. Bakura walked past my room; I noticed he had marks here and there, and a small bandage tied around his neck.

"Bakura what happened?" I asked, leaving the room.

"Nothing." I noticed that the back of his trench coat was ripped in several places.

"It doesn't look like nothing."

My darker half narrowed his eyes at me, "So? Why does it matter to you what happens to me?"

He tried to leave, but I grabbed his arm. "Bakura please."

"I told you it's nothing!" He jerked away and pushed me, then stormed into his room. He must have forced me out of my body while I was sleeping.

Quietly, I went into his bedroom. Things were scattered all over the place; some of the covers from the bed were undone and twisted into a heap on the floor. _I'll have to clean this when I get the chance…it looks even worse now._

I glanced around to see my other flopped down on his bed. His jacket was still on, along with the bandage on his neck. I decided not to disturb him; if he was sleeping, one thing I didn't want to do was to wake him up.

But as I drew closer, I noticed through some of the rips in his coat that there was blood leaking through, onto his shirt. _He's hiding something from me._

I left then, but I knew that if I couldn't get Bakura to tell what happened, I'd have to figure out everything by myself.

* * *

It was well after noon. I climbed the stairs to find my dark still sleeping, right in the same position as before.

"Bakura get up." I received a slight moan as a response.

"Come on." I pulled covers off the bed, but I froze. "Bakura-"

"What?" He groaned. "What's the problem?"

I didn't answer. Blood had traveled onto the bed, forming a slight puddle around his lower back. "Umm…"

"For crying out loud…" He twisted around a bit, and noticed the blood. "…Oh. It's nothing."

He got out of bed, "What do you mean it's nothing? You don't even know how much blood you lost!"

"So what? I'm already dead, remember?"

"But Bakura-" I didn't get a chance to finish. He left the room and jumped down the stairs, probably not even listening to me. I hated when he ignored me.

I followed him. But as my dark reached the end of the stairs, he wobbled a bit and fell to the floor. I went up to him, but by now his jacket had been removed. There was a long tear on his shirt- or should I say **my** shirt- and through it I could see a gash.

I poked him, getting a hateful growl. "Quit it."

"You're wounded."

"Oh, really?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. I helped him off the floor, but was only pushed aside.

"I don't need your help." But I helped anyway.

"…What cut you?"

"Nothing."

"Then why is there a gash on your back?"

I received no response. I heaved a sigh. As usual, he ignores me. _Like I'm surprised…_

"I heard that," He growled.

* * *

Bakura soon fell asleep on the couch, his back facing me. He had kept on the same shirt, bloody and all, but I had put his jacket in his room.

I prodded him slightly, "Bakura…hey!"

He emitted a loud growl. "Quit…poking me."

"Then get up. It's been too long. You've been asleep for almost four hours already, and you still have a while before night comes."

He paused, but then looked in my direction. "Don't help me anymore."

"What? Why?"

"I'm just warning you. Don't help me anymore."

"But why?"

"Just don't!" His voice grew loud all of a sudden; his hand clenched up. I noticed his eyes briefly go from the dark brown to certain crimson; but it quickly changed back. Was it just my imagination?

"Look. I don't know how to make this anymore clear to you. Do. Not. Help. Me." He said, eyes fixed on the floor.

"…Okay."

* * *

I knew Bakura told me not to help him out, but I knew he needed help, whether or not he admitted it. Being as quiet as I possibly could, I entered his room. I looked around, but I didn't see my darker half. A noise caused me to look at the opposite wall; the window was opening. I saw a shadow, and I went towards it.

"I told you…don't help me." I saw Bakura kneeling on the window ledge.

"Bakura what are doing?"

"Nothing." He jumped out the window, and I ran towards it, but Bakura had vanished from my sight. I called his name a few times, but he didn't answer.

Looking on the floor, I noticed a feather. I picked it up, noticing that it was solid black, red staining the end of it.

It had me confused…but I was going to force an answer from my dark…as soon as he came back.

* * *

So, what do you think? Please review!


	2. Unanswered Questions

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 2! I appreciate all the support I've received this far. I hope everyone will continue to enjoy the story.

* * *

I stayed up as long as I could that night, keeping the black feather clutched in my hand. I kept glancing at the clock; eventually it reached after three in the morning. I was tired- no. Beyond tired; I was exhausted.

I kept finding myself trying to doze off, but I kept snapping back awake. My grip loosened, and I eventually fell asleep.

* * *

I opened my eyes to find myself on the couch- right where I was waiting for Bakura. I remembered the feather then, and luckily, it was still in my possession. I tried to get up, but I fell right to the ground.

"…What?" I got up, but my balance was a bit off. "Maybe it's because I slept on the couch last night…"

I ascended the stairs and opened Bakura's door. He was flopped down on his bed, just like he was the day before. He looked tired. I turned my attention to the window, which was now closed. _That's weird._

I left, but when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I heard my name. I looked over my shoulder to see Bakura leaning over the railing.

Glancing at the clock, I noticed that it was much earlier than Bakura every got up. He started coming down the steps, but I noted that he had a bit of a limp. I decided no to ask- not yet anyway.

"How long have you been up, Ryou?"

"Not long," I replied, "But why are you up so early?"

"I don't know…" He trailed off into complete silence.

"…Why'd you jump out the window last night? Where'd you go?"

My Yami looked at me quizzically. "What are you talking about?"

"You jumped out of your window last night, and then when I called you, you never answered."

Bakura seemed thoughtful for a long time, and then flatly replied, "I never jumped out of my window yesterday."

I gave up. I knew something was going on, and I wanted to find out what it was.

* * *

Once more, I crept into my dark half's bedroom. I went towards the window, and saw the shadow, just like the night before.

"Bakura!"

He looked in my direction, but I couldn't clearly see his face, or anything else. It was too dark. Quickly, he jumped through the window. I ran after him, and this time, jumped out myself.

I landed softly upon the grass, and I noticed the shadow; I gave chase. But my Yami seemed much…faster. _But how could he possibly run this fast, especially when he was limping? _I ran out of breath after a while, and rested against a tree. Bakura had disappeared from my sight.

I knew it was pointless to go any further, so I went back toward my house. The sudden voice in my head made me flinch greatly- /Quit interfering. This is none of your business./

/Why not?/

/Don't say there wasn't a warning./

* * *

I was up early the next day, just like last time. Bakura, as usual, was still sleeping. I looked through his room, and found another dark feather, this time, resting on the windowsill.

There was something else I took notice of. I noticed bloodstains on the white wood of the sill. _If it's there, then…_

Going to the other side of the room, I picked up Bakura's coat. It, too, was stained with crimson. The rips were still there; I knew Bakura either didn't care or didn't know how to sew the holes shut.

I left, the newly found object in my grasp. I went to my room, and put the feather in my dresser drawer, along with my other one. _Two of them so far, and I'll probably see more…I know there's something up. Bakura couldn't have…_

My thoughts were interrupted by the crash I heard. I ran into the hall and gazed over the stair rails. Bakura was hunched over upon the ground, a shattered lamp next to him. I went down the stairs, carefully helping Bakura to his feet.

"Are you okay?"

"…Yeah."

Pieces of glass were scattered on the floor. My dark was mumbling complaints in a barely audible tone. I noticed that there were a few shards of glass in his arm. I tried to remove them, but he wouldn't let me, and insisted he could do it himself.

I cleaned up, making sure to get all the pieces of the now ruined lamp. I came back to find Bakura finished, a few bandages tied on his arms. "…Nothing serious?"

"No."

"…What happened anyway?" I asked, throwing away the shards.

"…I fell, so I tried to grab the table, but I only succeeded in knocking the lamp over." He went silent then, fingering the bandages. I decided to leave him be.

I had a bad feeling forming inside me; something bad was stirring up. I could feel it. I wanted to know what was with all those feathers, and how Bakura actually got that wound in the first place.

* * *

End of Chap. 2. Chapter 3 will be up soon, so be ready for it! Review and tell me what you think.


	3. Under the Bandage

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Here's Chapter 3, like many of you wanted.

Thanks for the reviews everyone, they mean a lot when I write. :)

* * *

I wasted my day away, waiting for night to come. I was watching some show with Bakura; I glanced to see it was almost eleven.

"…Look. The moon's full tonight."

My dark's face lost color almost immediately. He got up and I followed him.

"What's the matter?"

"…Nothing. So stop following me."

But I didn't listen. I heard the ringing of the clock in the hallway, telling that the new hour has arrived. Bakura then took off into a run; I chased him.

"Bakura where are you going?"

"Get away from me!"

"No. You're hiding something from me and I want to find out what it is!"

I grabbed the back of his shirt and made him stop in his tracks. "Ryou let go!"

"Then tell me what you're hiding!"

"I'm warning you, let go!"

"NO!"

He turned, and I noticed the cold glare he had. His eyes…that crimson red came over. I froze suddenly, my words caught in my throat. I kept a tight hold upon his shirt.

"Let me go." He whirled around, and I felt a sudden pain rush through my head. I fell to the floor; I let out a slight wince at the headache I now had.

I scrambled upright, but the last glimpse I caught was my dark running out the front door. I ran after him, but my other suddenly disappeared through the trees. There was something I caught though; there were a few black feathers in the doorway. They were extremely dark, the red liquid of blood running down from the tip to the bottom. It dripped onto the concrete steps.

"How come every time I find one…it's after Bakura runs out of the house? And why do his eyes keep turning red like that?"

* * *

Bakura was missing the next day. I ventured outside and called him a few times, but received no response. "He should be here…it's almost noon."

I went a little ways into the trees, where I often saw him run off to the last few days. I continued calling my dark, but no response.

I didn't know how far I went, but it soon grew a bit darker than before. I heard a muffled sound nearby; I stopped and listened. I went a little further, until it grew louder. I froze suddenly, seeing my dark leaning against a tree.

"Bakura?"

No answer. I went up to him, gently prodding him on the shoulder. He let out a slight wince, but nothing more. His form was hunched over, and he had his head resting upon his knees, which were brought up to his chest. I drew closer to see blood, staining parts of his clothes. I called his name a few more times, but since I received nothing, I figured he was either ignoring or couldn't hear me.

Gently as I could, I helped him to his feet. He gave a slight growl, but nothing more otherwise. As I helped him up, I saw a something fall. Picking it up, I held the newly found feather in my hand. I noticed something else as well; blood was traveling down the side of dark's face, "…What?"

I noticed he still had on that bandage around his neck. _Why is that still on? _I took it off, but stopped. There were two slash marks, and they appeared to be rather deep, but seemed to be trying to heal. Maybe that was why he kept it…

* * *

It had been a few hours since I got home. Bakura, who I had lugged home as well, was sleeping. I was growing nervous about it all. Bakura hadn't told that the mark on his neck looked that bad…what could have made it anyway?

I tried to place all questions aside; it was giving me a headache. Speaking of headaches, the one I received yesterday had gone away, but I had a bruise on the side of my face.

I continued to stare up at the ceiling, but I couldn't sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about the situation. My eyes roamed to the growing amount of feathers, stored in my dresser drawer. _But why are there so many? That's what I want to know…and where they're coming from. _

* * *

I found Bakura at the kitchen table the next morning. He had some coffee sitting in front of himself, but he didn't seem to be in the mood, since he kept stirring it repeatedly and not actually drinking it. The marks on his neck were still visible. He was wearing the black coat once again, still having the holes. He didn't bother to look in my direction when I entered the room.

I sat down nearby, and only then did his eyes glance up at me. He kept completely silent, and continued to mix the coffee.

"…You took my bandage off."

I didn't answer.

"…Didn't you?"

Slowly, I nodded. He let out a slight groan, and stopped the coffee blending. He put his head down, and said nothing more.

I didn't try to talk to him; the way his expression was formed told me he was in a very negative mood. I had to return to school tomorrow, but I didn't know if I should go…I had growing suspicion of my dark having something wrong with him, and I knew it was something serious.

* * *

Chapter 3 - End. So, what'll happen when Ryou returns to school, and Bakura is once more alone? ...You'll have to wait for Chap. 4 :)


	4. Revealed Wings

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

And here's Chapter 4. Chapters come quick. Please R&R:)

* * *

I heard grumbles as I walked down the stairs. Bakura was seated on a chair, his eyes closed. I noticed a slight graze on his face, right under his bangs; perhaps that was where the source of blood came from.

He had a new bandage around his neck, and I noticed that he held a hand to his head. "Are you okay?"

"…I'm fine, my head just hurts."

"…You do know I found you out in the woods last night, right?"

"What?"

"You had a feather in your lap, too."

No response. I stared hard at my dark; his eyes were fixed on the floor.

"Do you know why there was a feather with you?"

"…No. But I just…" He went silent.

"Why'd you run away from me?"

Nothing. I grew annoyed, "Bakura, tell me."

His hand drew around his wrist in a tight grip, "…I get this feeling…but…I can't remember what happens. Everything goes black."

"You can't?"

"No."

"Then why did you run away?"

"…That feeling stirred up. I didn't…really know what would happen if I stayed."

He went silent; but I kept pushing it. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"…Because. You worry too much anyway. This would only cause more difficulty for you."

I sighed. "I have to go…you know when I'll be back." I shut the front door behind me as I left.

* * *

I kept spacing out. I couldn't stay focused or anything else; my name was repeated several times, and I finally, I felt something poke me. I flinched, seeing Yugi behind me.

"…Oh. Good morning…"

"Hi. Are you feeling okay? You don't look so good…"

"…I'm fine." _Maybe Bakura's blood loss is finally taking its toll me…_

"You sure?"

"Yes."

He left me alone then. I was thinking about the situation; I flinched as I heard my name.

/Ryou./

/What is it?/

/Just seeing if you're alive…your mind has been awfully blank today./

* * *

"I'm home." I received no answer. "Bakura?"

I heard loud noise above me; repeated crashes. I went up the stairs, and peered silently into the bedroom. Bakura was standing in the middle of the room. Items were broken, things scattered all around, and I even noticed that there was a few crimson spots stained the floor.

Bakura didn't seem to notice my presence. I stayed completely silent, not wanting to ruin the moment. I could hear the heavy breathing of my dark. He staggered, and fell against the wall. I forced myself not to go forward.

/Ryou…/

/What is it?/

I received no response. Bakura could normally figure out where I was, but he didn't even glance in my direction.

He fell to the floor in a quick motion, and no more movements came from him. /Bakura?/ No answer.

Slowly, I went inside. I heard a slight chuckle, and I took a swift step backwards. "A bit slow, aren't you?"

I watched him rise off the ground, "Of course, I told you not to interfere…but you don't seem to listen very well…do you?"

He came forward; I couldn't bring myself to run away. "Maybe you'll listen next time," he said, throwing me into the wall.

"…You're…not Bakura."

"Took you long enough to realize that…"

He lunged at me; I moved away, but a strong pain gushed through my arm. "…Darn. I missed."

I found my wrist dripping with blood, "What…what did you do?"

He pointed to his neck, "Do the same to you as I did to **Bakura**."

The crimson eyes glared back at me, and I ran as fast as my legs would allow. _What's going on? This…this has to be a dream. It has to be! It can't-_

I tripped, "Got you."

"No!" I scrambled, and jumped from my place on the stairs. I hit the floor heavily; it hurt, and it took me a few seconds to regain my balance. "Humph."

I turned, but it felt like my heart had stopped beating. I saw blood splatter to the floor, but that didn't cause me to freeze. Bakura jumped from the stairs; but he didn't fall.

I watched as my emotions made me freeze; I watched black feathers fall to the floor, as wings came from my dark's body. **Wings**…

I couldn't move. My dark had _wings_!

* * *

Chapter 4 : End. A cliffhanger, hehe. You'll have to wait for Chapter 5. :)


	5. Struggling to Maintain Control

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

And here's chapter 5! Sorry I kept you guys waiting so long, but I'm now back on track with this! Hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

I took a few steps back, but I felt myself bump into the wall. I was afraid; I knew I was. I couldn't hide it either. My body shook, no matter how hard I tried not to.

"…A little blood and a new sight scares you?"

I didn't answer. I kept my hand tightly gripped around my wrist, blood seeping down my arm. He came closer; I pressed tighter against the wall.

"Let me explain something to you. The strong will live…and the weak will **die**."

_No! It's not real…it can't be! I don't want…I don't want to die!_

I tried to run away. I felt myself get dragged backwards by the edge of my shirt. I struggled, but with no avail. "No! Let me go!"

"I told you already…the weak die…and in my book…you're **weak**."

I felt that pain in my back this time around; I let out a cry. I watched the floor get lower; I found myself lifted off the floor. "You're lucky I didn't kill you earlier."

"Bakura s-"

"Bakura isn't here. Fight it…it won't do you any good."

/Bakura…/

No answer.

/Bakura answer me!/

Still getting nothing, I felt myself get thrown against the wall. I struggled, getting only more force applied to me. /Just hold on for a while longer./

/Bakura…?/

I didn't receive an answer. I struggled to look over my shoulder, and I found the crimson eyes. I felt the grip on me loosen suddenly; I hit the floor.

He stepped away from me, hands gripping his head. I went over to him, "Bakura?" I poked him.

"Get…away."

"No."

"GET AWAY!" He shoved me backwards, and I saw a few feathers drop to the floor. Blood dripped onto the carpet, and my dark leaned against the wall. He started coughing, and when he stopped, there was a slight stream of blood coming from his mouth. The red eyes had dulled out, and the wings were gone, with blood emitting from where they were previously.

He calmed down slightly, and sunk to the floor, legs brought to his chest, bangs covering up his eyes. "…Are you okay?" He asked, not even looking up.

"…I should be asking you that." I picked up the feathers from the floor.

"Bakura how'd you regain control like that?"

"…By giving up some more parts of myself to force him back inside me."

"…But if you're giving up pieces of yourself, doesn't that mean that he'll be able to take over?"

"It might. It doesn't matter though…it's not only at night that I change anymore Ryou. It's…becoming more and more often that I change." He paused, his hand drawn tightly into a fist. "…And I hate it."

I didn't answer. I didn't know how I could help him out. My thoughts suddenly broke, and the room started spinning. "Ryou?"

The voice grew quiet, and I finally fell to the floor. I heard my name again, but the only sound I could make was like a strangled cry. My body was full of pain that continued to throb. I felt a slight touch on my shoulder; I didn't move. The area around me grew pitch black; my grip loosened greatly and I dropped the feathers.

* * *

"Ryou? Hey, can you hear me?"

/What happened?/

/You fainted. Apparently the blood loss of your own and mine together just knocked you right out./

I felt around and my hands found the sheets. I clutched them in my hands, for the pain in my back was there, but luckily, not as strong or as bad. /Bakura?/

/What?/

/What are we going to do about…that thing inside you?/

/Just be more careful I guess…/

/But what is it exactly? Is it a vampire or what?/

/…It can't be a vampire. It probably would've tried to bite you, and besides, it keeps coming out in sunlight./

/But what if it's a special vampire?/

/Ryou…I think it's something else, but I don't know what it is exactly./

/…Okay…/

I finally found my voice and sight. I was lying on a bed, my body slanted. There was a deep red blanket draped over me. A few candles were lit, and I found a new bandage on my wrist. I noticed that my shirt had a wide rip in it, and through it I saw another bandage, wrapped around my body.

"Is the room still spinning?"

"No…I think I'm okay now." I got down from my spot on the bed, only to fall forward. Bakura snatched the back of my shirt before I hit the floor and tugged me back upright. "Your balance is off."

"…Sorry."

I went towards the doorway, but I felt a slight nudge. Bakura stood behind me, and held the feathers out in his hand. I took them from him, giving him a smile as I left the room. "Thanks."

* * *

Chapter 5 : End. So, what'll happen next chapter? Will Bakura lose control again? Will they figure out what's been possessing him? ...You'll have to wait 'till next time to find out. Review please:)


	6. Attack in the Dark

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for being so patient! Well, on with the story...

* * *

I went back to school once more the next day. I noticed that the pain just wouldn't leave. Was it because Bakura's gash hadn't healed?

My balance was off from the first minute I got there. I put my head down on my desk, only to hear my name. "Bakura! Hey!"

I looked over my shoulder, seeing Yugi at the other side of the room. I went towards them, but the room suddenly spun around. _Oh no…_

"Are you sick? Your face is really pale…"

"…I'm fine." _Do I really look that bad? My face is always pale but…_

"Are you sure?" The area around me smudged into a blur, the spinning getting worse. _No…I can't…_

"Bakura?" I felt him poke me. I grew lightheaded; "Why do you have a bandage on your wrist?"

_No!_ With blurred vision, I ran out of the room. I kept going, and eventually, I went into the bathroom for a mirror. I had to admit it; my face was horribly pale. I hung over the sink, my coughing returning. I heard slight footsteps, and my name was called.

"Bakura what are you doing in here? Why did you run away?"

I ignored the questions, but I couldn't stop. "Bakura?"

I kept a tight grip; I eventually lost my balance and fell against the sink. My legs felt heavy, and my vision was blurred. I felt like I was going to pass out, and my hand went to my face. I felt something, and gazed at my hand to see blood on my fingers.

_No…_

I felt something pull me away. Yugi had me by the arm. "…Let me go…"

"What?" Apparently he saw the blood on my face and let me go involuntarily. "Bakura…we need to tell someone."

"No. They won't…understand."

"…Your voice is cracking. What's the matter with you?"

I shook my head. "…Go to the hospital…you…really don't look well."

* * *

Sure, I felt bad that day and I nearly went unconscious two times, but I suffered through it. I came home to find it quiet and seemingly deserted. "Bakura?"

I received no response, so I called my dark a few more times. My response this time was a mental thought,

/Ryou, run./

/What? Why?/

/Run!/

/But why?/

/Go already! I'm trying to-/

The link was cut off suddenly, and I heard a crash from upstairs. Nervously, I gazed through the slightly open door. Things were knocked down and strewn everywhere, feathers were scattered all over the floor, and in different areas was blood. "…Bakura?"

"You should've listened. Perhaps he was advising the best…"

He came forward a step at a time, "Normal humans…are the weak. Of course, your friend wasn't exactly something "human". Let me tell you, he can't fight it forever. He can keep sacrificing himself; keep doing it until he runs out of things to give up. He'll probably go to his other option: **you**. Either that…or he'll become what I am forever…or never take control of anything again."

I tried to get away, but I was grabbed by the back of my neck and thrown against the wall. "Get off of me!"

"Why?" I was filled with a pain then. I couldn't really describe it, but it just felt so horrible. I fell to the floor, but I couldn't see. I slipped silently into unconsciousness.

* * *

I opened my eyes to find it dark. I couldn't freely move my body. My hands were hoisted above my head. I looked up the best I possibly could and moved my hands a bit to hear a rattling noise. _Chains?_

I had a difficulty breathing, and I heard slight footsteps. I looked at the hallway to see my dark's shadow.

"I'm tired of you running. I'm tired of chasing. I'm tired of being forced back into a body. I'm tired of **everything**."

He approached. "Go away."

"No."

I found those wings; the ones I've seen a few times before, coming from my dark. I didn't remember how I had gotten here…or what had happened…but I felt a bad feeling, so I pushed to ask a question.

"Why are you doing this?"

I heard a mere grumble in the dark as a response. There was a spark of light in the corner as a candle was lit. I tried to free myself, but to no avail. I was growing tired and it was getting even harder to breathe.

There was a cold touch on my arm then; I flinched and moved to the side. The grip suddenly tightened greatly. "Quit moving."

There was a new wave of fear stirring up inside me. I couldn't see; there was no other light than the small spark in the corner of the room. I squinted in the dark and saw a few feathers. Nearby was a long chain and almost handcuff like objects attached. I saw the blood leaking from the silver objects and onto the table.

I felt the grip get even tighter; I could feel his nails sinking into my arm. I kicked a bit, but it only made things more difficult. /Bakura please…snap out of it! Don't be like this. Don't let him control you…/

There was no response. I could feel my fear growing stronger. What if he was really stuck? Could he even hear me? I tried harder. /Bakura come on! I know you can hear me! Please…/

There was only silence in my head. My heart was speeding up; I struggled as hard as I could. I started screaming for someone, but there was nothing but silence. I suddenly felt myself hit the floor; I scrambled to my feet and tried to run, but that grip was still there. I was dragged backwards despite my struggles.

"You're not going anywhere."

"Stop it! Let me go!" I struggled more and more, but my body was growing weak. "No! NO! LET GO!"

There was pain then. I started screaming at the top of voice, only to have myself hit with much force. I felt something run unto my shoulder; my hand went to my neck. I felt blood flowing from the open space. I felt around again; my left shoulder was slit.

_It's over. I guess before was just luck, being able to get away so many times. Now I'm going to become… whatever Bakura has turned into. Figures…right when I need him most…he doesn't show up._

I cried, hands clutching my neck and my shoulder, but I couldn't stop the blood. Eventually, the blood had run onto my clothes, leaving red stains. The room began to spin, and I felt lightheaded. I then heard a few footsteps, and I heard an anxious voice. "Ryou?"

I faced the doorway, the shadow creeping through the light. "Bakura?" I heard a few more steps, but the room suddenly spun greater than before. I tightened my grasp and heard my name again. I tried to answer, only to let out a cry of pain. I heard a few running steps and I felt something touch me.

* * *

Chapter 6 : End. So, what'll happen now that Ryou's been attacked? Will be become like Bakura? You'll have to wait for Chapter 7. :)


	7. Attacked & Needing to Fight Back

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

And here's Chapter 7! Thanks for waiting!

* * *

The grip was deathly cold to me; I recognized it from before. I inched away, my fear less but still there. "Ryou, it's me."

I shook my head several times, despite the pain in my neck. The grip went away, and I heard a few steps. Light suddenly flooded the room. I shut my eyes for a few seconds, and opened them again. Bakura stood nearby, "Now do you believe me?"

The wings were still there, which sort of took me by surprise. Bakura was leaning against the doorframe. One hand was gripping his side; the other hung loosely at his waist. Blood seemed to cling to his hands. He started to come back towards me, but fell.

"Bakura-" I managed to get that much out, but my voice soon faded through pain. His form was shaking slightly, and he forced himself back up.

"I'm ok…" He got halfway off the ground, only to fall again. I used all I had and made my way over. His left hand remained on his waist, clutching it, while the other was clenched up against the floor. I tried to help him up, but he refused.

"You're in no condition to be-" He was cut off then, going into a deep fit of coughing. He kept on, but finally stopped, blood going down the side of his mouth.

"Ryou, calm down. I'm fine…you need to be worried about yourself." Body still shaking like crazy, he took the bandage from my wrist and struggled to put it on my neck, but I shook my head and did it myself. I wasn't that worthless.

Bakura's hand dropped to the floor and he went still, silent as ever. I knew he had either fallen asleep or had passed out. I noticed that all Bakura ever does anymore is sleep. The only time I pretty much get to see him awake anymore is before or after he's getting ready to change.

My thoughts broke then; the room spun violently around. I quickly tied the bandage to my neck, so in case I went unconscious too, at least I wouldn't bleed as much. As I expected, the room went around again, and this time, faded to black.

* * *

My bleeding had died down by the time I had awoken. Bakura was still on the floor where he had fallen. His wings had folded down some, as if to rest, and were no longer actually high up. The blood was still going from my dark, but barely any, as if nothing more than a cut.

I sat up, feeling pain. I found parts of my body bruised; the dark colors formed a nasty shade. Ignoring the new find, I focused my attention on my neck. Gazing around the room, I found it extremely gloomy. There was a mirror hanging on the wall; I approached it. It was fogged and was hanging crooked, but after wiping it a bit, I could finally see myself.

Summoning my courage, I took off my bandage. I froze suddenly; my neck was a deep shade of pink, huge gashes were torn in the flesh. There was some blood stained; I decided not to touch it. Pulling my sleeve down slightly, I gazed at the mark on my shoulder. It wasn't as bad, luckily, but it was a long cut, and had bled a bit. I then tied the bandage back around the mark on my neck.

I turned to find Bakura now sitting upright. I heard a sudden voice/You do want to be like him…don't you?/

I shook my head, "Did you say something?"

"No." He picked up his coat from the floor, "Why?"

"…No reason."

But it kept coming, talking to me. I tried not to listen to it, but when I didn't, it just kept going. It was making me nervous.

/Go ahead. You know you want to be a piece of the dark…you want to be like your Yami./

/…No…no! Leave me alone!/

/Come on Ryou…fall into the darkness…/

"Stop it! Go away!"

"Ryou?"

I looked at my dark, hands over my ears. The voice suddenly disappeared; my hands fell away. "Ryou what's the matter?"

/Go ahead. Tell him. It won't make any difference…so go on. Explain it to him…I dare you…/

"Leave me alone!"

"Ryou! HEY!" Everything died away; I glanced at him to find him gripping my wrist. "What are you talking about?"

I adjusted my gaze to the floor. I didn't know what to tell him. Bakura suddenly jerked; I noticed the expression on his face. His hand was constantly twitching while maintaining the grasp upon me.

"Bakura? Are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh…yeah, I'm fine…"

He released me then, sitting in a hunched over position. There was a painful look printed on his face; I noticed that there was blood still trickling down his back from where his wings were. I also noticed that the rips in his clothes were still there…I guess he gave up on fixing them.

He mumbled something, and his body slumped forward a bit more. I began to think this entire wing situation was too much for him.

"Bakura, why are your wings still out?"

No answer.

"Yami?" I poked him once; there was no answer. "Bakura?" I prodded him harder this time. Still receiving nothing, I peered over his shoulder. My dark was still, eyes staring off. I waved a hand at him, but I was forced to stop.

He lashed out at me suddenly, grabbing me tight around my neck. I tried to pry him off, but I couldn't. I could feel one of his hands over the top of my gash; it began to bring pain. "Let…go!"

"I can't do that…"

I found the red eyes staring back at me. I started to struggle, but the grasp only tightened. I felt a huge jolt run through my neck then; he took one hand from where it was previously. I found the blood drip onto the floor; "You're so sensitive."

Through struggled breaths, I could feel myself getting hit. /Bakura…/

There was no answer.

/Bakura please…don't leave me like before!/

There was a quiet response this time/Fight back./

/But- I can't even-/

/Yes you can…now hurry up./

Struggling, I took a brief glance around the room. My heart was beginning to make my chest ache; I managed to break free. I ran to the other side of the room, desperately searching around. I could hear the footsteps; they grew closer and closer, and I finally looked over my shoulder to see him behind me.

"I hope you didn't think that I'd let you get away…" He reached out and grabbed one wrist, "You'll become just like your Yami…whether you like it or not."

* * *

Chapter 7 : End. Sooo, you'll have to wait for Chapter 8 to find out what happens next, which will be up soon!


	8. What He Really Is

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Here's Chapter 8! I really appreciate those of you that are reading/reviewing this...you guys are awesome.

* * *

I swallowed hard. I only had one shot. I kept my other hand behind my back, while my other was held tight in his grasp.

He came at me; I lunged outward. There was a long silence, other than the sound of the blood dripping to the floor. I watched my dark's form twitch as blood leaked from it. I had a knife clutched in my hand, which was shaking like crazy.

I released my grasp and sunk to the floor in shock. I heard a growl from above me; the knife was thrown to the ground. The crimson orbs glared back at me with nothing but hate and anger.

I noticed that the blood was flowing faster now; the place where Bakura was previously clutching his side was also bleeding. _I've got to get Bakura back out…he's going to run out of blood if it keeps happening in this direction…_

/Bakura, can you hear me?/

There was no response.

"You little…" I felt him grab me by the shirt. There was a sudden pain growth in my neck; I could feel the blood running down; I could feel the pain climbing. I found him tearing at the gash, making the wound reopen.

"Stop!" I screamed. Of course, he didn't listen, only continued with making me suffer. I fell to the floor, my hand clutching the marks.

I found him stumble and bump against the wall. His hands were clutching the sides of his head, eyes wide and staring at the floor. It all stopped then; the eyes went blank. His hands fell away; he sunk to the ground.

"…Bakura?"

There was no answer. I eased myself forward, heart picking up speed. I gently poked him; he blinked. I was relieved to see the pupils come back into view. He shifted his position slightly, only to jerk greatly and grab at his side. He mumbled something then, but I couldn't hear it.

"Yami?"

He looked at me, "What?"

I sighed aloud in great relief. At least I had my regular dark back. He shakily stood up, using the table for balance. His shirt was basically nothing now; tatters and rips were all over the place. Through it was the stab wound that I had caused, and I then noticed a deep gash on his side. Blood was practically rushing from the wounds.

"…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's ok…"

He started to slowly go towards the door. "Bakura you shouldn't be moving around like this!"

He merely ignored me, but suddenly his back curved forward and he fell to the floor. I ran over next to him. His form was quivering and twitching every now and then. Blood had already run off him and forming a little puddle upon the ground. His eyes were closed, a look I haven't seen before on his face: pain.

"…How can I help?"

There wasn't a response at first. "…I don't really…think there's anything you can do Ryou."

I took a look around and found a few bandages lying on the table. I helped him sit upright, because he was constantly falling. "Hold still."

I tied them around; there wasn't enough to stop the bleeding, but at least it slowed it down. Bakura then leaned against the walls. His body was still twitching and I was actually surprised to see him awake.

"…You've been up a long time…"

"What choice do I have? This pain…it's forcing me to stay awake." His eyes were fixed on the floor. "…I used to be alive…but everything around me kept dying. Eventually I was one of them; and I died along with it all." He was silent for a few seconds, "But when I died; that was when I learned to **live**."

I was completely silent. He looked at me, "A few wounds or two doesn't usually faze me; but because of the constantly change, and the wings…it's hurting **worse** then it **should**."

There was a long pause. I decided to ask a question. "Bakura…what exactly…are you changing into?"

He was silent.

"…Do you know?"

"…No…not really."

/You want to know? Your dark is a **demon**./

/Demon?/

/Yes. Let me tell you something. …As time ticks by your dark will only be a memory. He won't be able to fight it anymore. He'll be me…forever. You can either join him…or be one of the ones to** die.**/

* * *

I awoke suddenly; the room was in darkness. I went to turn on the lights, but a candle suddenly came on. I froze in my tracks, finding Bakura leaning over the table. I could hear him talking quietly; I strained to hear what was being said.

"…I hate this. I hate it all." He turned and lit another one of the objects, "This stupid…" His hand suddenly clenched up and he slammed it into the wall. I could tell he was extremely irritated.

"…Bakura?"

He looked in my direction then. It was only until that time that I noticed how much different he looked. His eyes had a strong amount of exhaustion in them; I realized that the normal deep brown had darkened to black. His form was once more leaning over something, the wings now hanging higher. His shirt was shredded even more; through it were reddening bandages. There was an occasional twitch that ran through him; it caused his back to flinch.

Was what that voice told me true? Was Bakura really getting closer to being a permanent demon as the minutes passed? Was that why he looked like this?

"Bakura…maybe you should go back to sleep…"

There was no answer.

"…I can't." I didn't answer him at first. "…Time's running out. I don't know…how much longer I can hold out on this…"

His body gave a slight flinch, "Bakura…how can I help?"

There was no answer.

"Bakura?"

His body suddenly gave out on him; he collapsed to the floor. I found his eyes no specific color; they were just completely blank with a type of gray tint. I realized that he was still trying to maintain his control. It must have been real hard on him to keep struggling like this.

His body suddenly stopped; he blinked a few times and stood up. I merely watched him at first; but then he looked at me with those red eyes. There was a grin of amusement upon his face; he came towards me.

"…Since you don't listen when I talk…I've decided to try something different…" He eyed the blade, which was still upon the floor, and picked it up.

"You refuse to fall in with your dark…you refuse to turn into what he's become," He looked at me with narrowed eyes and a blank expression. "…Then I'll take this in a different direction…"

* * *

Chapter 8 : End. Now we all kind of know what Bakura is...

But now that Ryou knows AND has been dragged into an attack, what's going to happen to him? ...You know you'll have to wait until next time.


	9. More Frequent Danger

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Hey peoples! So here's the next chapter. I've been busy lately, so it was hard to work on this, but I managed. So, read on:)

* * *

I inched away; I could feel my fear starting to grip me. He started to take steps towards me; I wound up running out of the room. I could hear the steps behind me, echoing. I just kept going; I eventually began to get tired, but I forced myself to keep moving. My legs went out from under and I fell to the ground. I heard the steps stop; I looked over my shoulder to see him looming over me.

I tried to run away again, but I was seized by the back of my shirt and held back. I struggled as hard as I could, but to no avail. "Let me go!"

He grabbed me by the neck and forced me to look at him, pressing the stiletto beneath his hand. I froze then; my entire body went stiff. I knew I could still have a chance…but I'd have to…

"…I'll give you an opportunity."

There was a long silence. I could feel my body beginning to shake; only then did he lower his weapon. "Such as?"

"You can have me…but does that mean you'll leave Bakura alone?"

I heard his voice then/Ryou, don't you dare…/

"…You are the one with the most control…fine. I'll leave him be…"

/Ryou…/ His voice was growing more angry by this time, but I merely ignored him.

He let it drop to the floor and threw me to the ground. I didn't fight back; I knew he would do something worse if I did. I could still hear my dark's voice. /Ryou get up. Ryou! Hey! GET UP!/

But I chose not to listen, at least until I heard a slight cry. I struggled upright; I could see his form hunched over and shaking. There was a long amount of silence, but then he started screaming. "Bakura!"

I went over next to him; blood began to run to the floor. His body was shaking and he just continued yelling. I had never heard my dark yell like this before; I knew there was something really wrong.

I started calling his name and I finally took him by the arm, but he just kept going. His eyes were closed and his body was shaking even more. He finally went silent and wobbled, but I kept my grasp on his arm before he fell.

The color was gone from his face and blood ran freely from places on his body, wings still hanging. His grip was loose, and he dropped the knife. His breathing was off and seemed to be somewhat rattled.

I felt a feeling of guilt stir inside me; I kept letting it go on. I kept telling myself I would do something about it but no matter what happened I was always nothing at all close to being helpful. Now the problem was only growing larger, and I was only worthless.

* * *

I entered the room to see Bakura sitting upright. His hand was drawn to his forehead and was held there. His eyes were adjusted downward and he appeared to be thinking. "…Bakura?"

He looked up at me, but didn't speak. He watched me as I came towards him; I set a glass of water down on the side table, trying not to make any eye contact with my dark. I spoke very little to him, "…You've been sleeping a long time…"

"How long?"

"…About three days. I…started to think you weren't going to awaken."

I received no response. I headed towards the door, and once I made it to there, with my back to him, I said my apology.

"…Why are you sorry?"

"…I'm…no help to you. I'm only making things worse Bakura…I keep saying I'll help but…"

"Be quiet. There's no reason for you to apologize to me. I'm the one who should be doing so to you."

I didn't answer him. He could say that as much as he wanted, but it didn't change anything. I was guilty of it; I was insignificant. I felt a pain run through my back; I merely ignored it.

I left the room and went down the hallway. I remembered what had happened well. Bakura went unconscious and I continued down the corridor with him in tow, and I eventually figured out that this was inside the ring, or at least, it's what I thought, due to the many doors and rooms. I wound up finding an empty room and put him in there.

As I went down the hall, I began to grow tired. I kept going, but I started to get so weak I couldn't do anything. I finally lost my balance and I fell to the floor. I forced myself to stand, and using support from the wall, continued down the passage.

My legs suddenly went stiff; I fell once more, but this time, I couldn't get up, no matter how hard I tried. "Maybe I should…no. I can take care of myself…" Grasping a part of an open door, I heaved myself off the floor. It was getting harder to maintain my balance.

I started walking again, using walls for support, but wound up feeling pain in my back. I let out a wince and continued my way down the corridor. The pain started growing; I forced my cries down, but I felt a sharp jolt that caused an audible yelp to escape my throat.

"Ryou?"

I clasped a hand over my mouth and gazed over my shoulder to see Bakura in the middle of the hall. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

I continued my way, but he suddenly came out in front of me and took one arm. "Let me help, you look like you're-"

But I merely pushed him away. "Don't help me…"

"But Ryou-"

"Bakura don't help…"

He sighed and walked along beside me. Sometimes he wound up going faster than me and he stopped to let me catch up. I was growing exhausted by this point and I couldn't feel my legs, but I didn't stop.

My back was thumping with pain, but I did my best to ignore it. I noticed that Bakura was walking fine, but his body was leaning forward slightly. His wings were higher up than they were earlier.

The pain was growing worse, and now felt like stabs in my body. I eventually wound up letting out a slight noise; Bakura glanced at me. "Are you sure you're all right?"

I didn't answer him. "Ryou?" He put a hand on my shoulder, but I barely noticed. With pain steadily climbing, I tried to pull away, but only sunk to the floor.

"What's the matter?" My hand clenched up but I suddenly felt a sharp stab run through me, right through my back. I screamed, Bakura kneeling down next to me. "Hey! Ryou!" He started to shake me, but I just kept on. I couldn't help it; every part of me ached.

The room blurred greatly; I fell back, and the last thing I saw was Bakura try to grab me. Though I couldn't see, I could still hear his voice. "Ryou? Hey, get up! Come on…get up!"

"…I…can't…" I had no strength to even sit upright. I was so tired…my hearing faded away as well, leaving me in silence and darkness.

* * *

I awoke to find myself in my room. The door was open along with the windows. I got out of bed and went down the corridor to my dark's room. I gazed through the doorway to find him leaning on the windowsill, gazing out of his window.

"So, you're still trying to resist me?"

"…Go away."

"You know I can't do that Bakura…"

_Does that mean that he can hear it too?_ I kept quiet and merely watched.

"The darkness inside you is only growing…your time is wasting away. I do know that forcing me back will only become harder as time ticks past…and eventually…it will become an impossible task."

Bakura stayed silent and seemed to ignore him. "…That hikari of yours…is being a burden for me…you either push him aside…or I'll do it myself…"

"Don't hurt him."

"I will unless you do something about it."

"No. Look…you have me…do whatever you want to me…just leave Ryou alone."

"…Fine."

Bakura suddenly let out a scream, his body jerking instantly from the sill. I ran inside; he didn't seem to notice my presence.

His yells suddenly came to a stop and he staggered upright. He kept his head down, and his bangs hung over his eyes.

"…So…how much of that did you hear?"

He looked up and I took a step back at the red eyes staring back at me. "Then I don't have to repeat myself…I want you out of the picture…"

I ran out of the room, footsteps behind me. Slamming my bedroom door shut behind me, I slumped onto the floor in the corner. I heard the sudden click from my place on the floor; my body went stiff.

He came inside, taking paced steps toward me. I had nowhere to run; I was trapped. I was hauled up, but I wasn't pushed into the wall.

"Why are you-"

He shoved me then, but I didn't feel the wall behind me. I realized that he had pushed me out the window at that point; I felt the fear grip me. Sure, it wasn't a huge house; but I knew that from the second floor, it could leave some real damage on me. I tried to grab something, but I just kept falling. I screamed aloud, but no one seemed to hear me.

/Bakura! BAKURA!/ I received no answer.

_No…_ I tried to make my voice go louder, but I received no answer. _NO! I don't want it like this…why did he have to become this anyway?_

/Please Bakura…wake up!/ Still getting no answer, I shut my eyes and tried hard to forget; to tell myself this had to be a dream.

* * *

Chapter 9 : End.

Cliffhanger again. Sorry peoples, but I have to do SOMETHING to make you want to read it next time...

So, the results of the situation...will be done in the chapter. Please review!


	10. A Mixed Situation

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

So, here's the next chapter. I wasn't trying to keep you guys waiting long, so I forced in time to work on this! I hope you enjoy. :)

* * *

I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to see the area around me. Fear was tightly gripping me; I just let myself fall.

/Bakura…/ It was my last attempt, and I still didn't get a response. I gave up then; my cries were in vain.

But I never felt anything beneath me; I didn't feel myself hit the ground. Was I dead? I summoned what courage I had and opened my eyes. What I saw sort of took me aback; Bakura had me by the shirt, eyes dark and a sort of gray color. He looked like he was only hanging onto his control by a thread, because his movements were off.

He had me by one arm, as if trying to keep me in one place. He reached out, but his eyes suddenly grew wide. He screamed aloud, unconsciously letting go of me. I flung out and tried to grab him, but missed. The ground was really close by this point.

I shut my eyes again; I didn't want to watch anymore. But the air whizzing past had stopped. I eased open my eyes to find Bakura having me in a tight embrace. His eyes were closed and he just fell with me. His wings were still, hanging loosely from his back.

I heard a horrible noise then: a thud-like noise followed by Bakura screaming aloud. His hands fell away from me, and I got up. He made no movement after that, breathing rattled and weak.

"…Bakura?"

I received no answer. "Bakura please…answer me."

His face gave a slight twitch-like movement, and his eyes eased open. "…Are…you all right?"

"I…I'm fine. What about you though?"

He didn't answer or move. "…My entire body…is numbed. I can't feel anything." He paused for a second, then commented to me, "…Hey…you're…blurring out…"

"What? Bakura!" I grabbed hold of his arm, but the smile then faded away and he went still completely.

I merely sat there, watching the motionless form of my dark, and when the voice returned, I flinched. /So. Now it really is your fault./

/…But…I was forced out and he just-/

/Wrong. You were forced out and screamed for him to come help you. That means you take just as much of the blame./

/You…you're wrong…/

/No. I'm right, and you're wrong. It's all your fault./

/SHUT UP! He tried…to get me the first time…and you only struck him with more pain…and you forced him to let me go. You wanted him to fail. You're just angry that he's constantly breaking from your control and doing things against you. And one of the things you want is for me to die…isn't it?/

I received no response. Bakura's hand suddenly twitched, but it was only once and barely noticeable. A light moan escaped from his throat, and I could tell he was struggling. His eyes flickered then; they eased open, but only slightly, just enough to see the color. The pitch-black orbs stared back at me, as if nothing but a hole to the darkness.

"…Ryou?" His voice sounded weak and it constantly faltered. "…What is it?"

"…Nothing…I…just wanted…to make sure it was you…" He grinned at me. I could tell he was in bad condition. His face was drained from all color, eyes that dark, ink-like color, voice quiet, and his body wasn't moving at all on its own. He told me he couldn't feel anything, and every once in a while, his form would twitch. On top of it all, he wasn't breathing right. The normal up and down movement of his chest was broken; his body shook a bit when he breathed, and the process sounded partially blocked and rattled.

"…Do I…need to take you to the hospital?"

"…How can you…with my…wings-" He didn't finish. He went into a fit of heavy coughing; I sat him upright. His hands were cupped around his chin, and when he moved them away, the red liquid was pooled in the center.

"…Bakura…"

He didn't even answer me anymore. His eyes were close to almost shutting, and his body had stopped every little movement, including the twitches. I knew there was something severely wrong with the picture.

* * *

I had taken him back inside, and by then, he seemed a lot weaker. "What does it feel like?"

/…It…hurts…/

_Even his mental link is failing. Not good…_

I had managed to get him to the couch, where he was sitting partially upright. His form was curled up, motionless. His face was an even lighter pale color, printed with an expression that didn't seem fitting. _Is…he dying? No, he can't be…he's already dead._

The black eyes stared at me, no light reflecting off them. /…Ryou?/

"What is it?"

/…Something's…really…wrong…with me…/

"…Do you know what's happening?"

/…I wish…but…this pain…it's…strange./ He paused momentarily due to another coughing spell, then started up again/It…doesn't hurt as bad…as my earlier pain…but…it just feels like…it's…/

"Like it's what?"

I received no response. "Bakura?"

His eyes were shut now, and his head had fallen back onto the armrest. The red fluid was once more running from the side of his mouth. I found his hands were like ice, cold and motionless. I threw a blanket over him to try to get his body heat steady.

/…R…Ryou…?/

/What?/

/…It…hurts…so…much…/

/Hang in there, all right?/

/…I'm…trying…but…it's…only…getting…harder…and…harder…/

/What's happening?/

/…This…pain…and it's…so…cold…/ His voice faltered again, and for a minute, he was silent. /…It's…getting…harder…to breathe…/

/Bakura…just hold on, okay?/

/…Sorry…but…this time…I don't…know…how much…longer…I can…/

I found my eyes swelling up with tears. I tried to hold it all in; but I suddenly started crying. _First a demon attacks us…forces wings out of him…channels all this pain in him…nearly kills me…and when Bakura tries to save me…he winds up getting hurt…and now…now…_

I just kept crying until I couldn't cry anymore. It was as if the tears had run out like a well ran out of water. /…Ryou…don't…cry…like that…/

/But…/

/Quiet…I'm…not…going…to die…all right…?/

/But Bakura…/

/I said…be…/ There was a final crack in his voice, and then there was nothing but silence.

I grabbed his arm, and received the same icy feeling. "…Bakura?"

My grip tightened, and I was silent to try to hear the breathing; but I heard nothing. I burst into tears once more, and this time, I couldn't stop. I tried, and I tried really hard, but I couldn't.

I called his name several more times, but he never answered me. I forced him upright, starting with gentle movements. But when I received not even the slightest response, things took a turn.

I shook him several times, screaming for him to wake up. I yanked him to his feet, but his form tried to collapse. I grabbed him in a tight embrace then, almost like a hug, and cried. My body was shaking like crazy, and my vision was so blurry from tears I could barely see anything.

And as time slipped past, I merely stood there, crying, and embracing the still form of what I used to call my other.

* * *

Chapter 10 : End.

Oh nooooesss! Look what I've done...

Well, if you're wondering...the story isn't over... Hint hint!

Next chapter will be coming soon:)


	11. Another Quality Passed On

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

So, here's Chapter 11!

For all of you guys that are reading and/or reviewing, I really appreciate it. It keeps me going when I write to know that people are actually enjoying, or at least reading what I have written. Thanks everyone!

* * *

It was well past midnight. I couldn't sleep. All that ran through my mind was the same experience as before with my other. And when that happened, I almost started crying each time. But how could I be blamed for it? Sure, he wasn't the best person in the world, but we often got along pretty well. It was kind of like a brother thing; looking out for each other or something like that. And after what he did to help me, there wasn't anything I did to stop that demon lurking in him.

I got up from my place and went down the stairs. If I had been lying there for well over two hours, then I sure wasn't going to fall asleep now.

I merely sat down at the kitchen table and put my head down. I didn't remember crying that much since part of my family died. It struck me then; I was alone. There was no one left.

I felt my nails starting to sink into my arm. I said nothing, but I could begin to feel the familiar substance run down my face. _Why? Why does everything bad happen to me? It's not fair…_

"…Quit crying."

I looked up then, and it felt like my heart stopped. The black eyes stared back at me; I got up. "Bakura?"

I waited for no response. I grabbed him in an embrace, getting a grunt from him. I ignored the sound though and held my hug. I could feel the tears filling up in my eyes again, and I tightened my grip.

"…You're…choking me…"

I let go only then. He rubbed the side of his neck and stretched. "…But I thought-"

"I told you I wasn't going to die." He gave me a grin.

"But…"

"So what if I stopped breathing? I'm a spirit, Ryou. I can still survive off you for a little while…but I think that fall is what caused my functions to go out of order and knocked me unconscious." He paused then looked me right in the eyes, "…So what did you do while I was out?"

Tears came again, and I couldn't stop them. And when I tried to speak, I couldn't. /This…all I did…was this…/

/So you cried the entire time? …Pity./ He chuckled then and turned away. I followed him.

I knew that the word 'love' was wrong. He didn't love me. I didn't care if he didn't, because he still cared about what happened. Most of you would probably just say that it's the same thing, but not in my book.

I noticed that Bakura was walking a bit with a limp, but at least he could walk. I noticed that his hand was twitching a little. I managed to get my voice back, since I had stopped my crying.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Yeah. Pretty bad too…I don't think anything's broken though."

"…Maybe we just got lucky…"

"Perhaps." I also noticed that his face was still pale a bit, but at least some of the color had returned.

* * *

I had to return to school the following morning. Time had gone by rather quickly, and I now stood in the front doorway. "Bakura?"

I received no response. I searched through the house, but no clue to where he was, so I went outside and called him. There was nothing but my echo. _That's strange._

I started to go back into the house, but a shadow loomed down onto my face. I went a few steps back; the shadow moved to the grass, and I recognized it quite well. "Hey! Bakura!"

He didn't answer me. Heaving a sigh, I grabbed hold of the nearest tree branch and pulled myself up. I climbed until I reached the roof, and then hopped onto it.

Bakura was perched on one of the higher spots, towards the center of the roof. He didn't seem to notice my appearance. I had to go up to him to actually get his attention. "What are you doing up here? Someone might see you!"

"…I needed some air." He didn't look at me though; I tried to follow his gaze, but it seemed to lead nowhere.

"…Come on." I took my way down from the way I came, and by the time I got to the ground, Bakura hadn't moved. "Bakura, come on!"

His form appeared, and as he jumped, I noticed that his wings were allowing him to move, unlike before, when he just fell. He lightly landed on the ground and started to go inside. I followed right behind him.

"…Are you hungry?"

"…Not really…"

"…Something's bothering you. Am I right?"

I didn't receive an answer. Instead he merely shrugged and got up and went to the mirror that hung on the wall. He gazed into it a few minutes, staring at his reflection, and then I heard the noise he made.

"What's wrong?"

I peered over his shoulder, and at the sight, I yelped. There was a set of fangs in his mouth!

We both just stood there a second, staring deep into the mirror. I was the one to break the silence. "…Bakura…"

"…Crap."

He sunk down in a chair at the table, head resting upon his arms. "…It's getting worse."

"…What?"

"The demon qualities…they're only increasing." I sat down across from him, "Then that means…your time is shortening…right?"

"…Yeah." His eyes suddenly focused on me. "…Look. Next time that my control drops, I don't know if…I'll be able to get it back right away."

I was silent. "…And if…it gets to that point…where your life gets threatened of being lost…go ahead. Fight back and cause harm. I don't care…but you'd just better not let yourself get killed. Do you understand?"

All I could do was nod. _Then if he tries to kill me…I have to hurt him back? But what if nothing works? What if it's too late? What if-_

The stream of thoughts was broken by the sudden jerk of Bakura's form. His hand clenched around his chest; "Are you all right?"

But he didn't answer me; he just kept shaking with his hand clutching about his heart. I could hear him muttering under his breath, and as seconds passed, his grip grew tighter.

And then he screamed; I flinched unconsciously and put a hand on his shoulder. He only pushed me away. "…Don't…get away…"

His body was shaking madly at this point; I tried again. This time, he shoved me, much harder. "I said get away!"

But I ignored him, and tried again. This time I saw a strange look in his eyes that I had never seen before. He pushed me with such force that I stumbled back. He was now standing up, but then he suddenly went straight down to the floor.

"Bakura-"

"Get away from me!"

His voice was loud and sounded weird. I reached out once more; but I wasn't hit. Bakura didn't even seem to notice me. He was crouched down, legs brought to his chest, coughs and continuous trembling coming from his form.

The coughs grew louder, more like he was choking. And then I saw the red liquid spill onto the floor.

_What do I do?_

"…Ryou…run…"

"But Bakura-"

"I said get away from-" He was cut off by the cough, which only brought more blood. He flopped down onto his knees, clutching the same spot.

/Ryou, get out! NOW!/

"But I can't just-"

/I said leave!/ His voice had died down by this time. I knew there was something wrong.

But I ignored his suggestion. I only bent down next to him; I winced slightly at the blood staining his fangs; they dripped with the red fluid.

His eyes grew wide then; the black flashed a shade of crimson, but returned to the dark, ink-like color. His hands were clasped over his ears; as if there was something he didn't want to hear.

"Change. You know you want to be something else…"

"Leave me alone!"

"…You know you want to change Bakura…and you'll either give up easy…or I'll stab more pain through that body of yours."

_No…_

"…I see you have fangs…they look pretty good in that mouth of yours." There was sudden laughter; "And it proves that becoming a demon forever...is only ticking closer."

* * *

Chapter 11 : End.

So, another quality has been passed on to Bakura. Now that it's gotten that far...what is Ryou going to do about it? And how much longer can Bakura hold out on being possessed, before the demon force completely swallows him?

...Find out in Chapter 12!


	12. Running in Rain & Energy Loss

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

I was pretty busy this week, but I finally found some time to work on this! So, here's the next chapter!

* * *

There was a growl from Bakura, who was still hunched over on the floor. I didn't know what to do; I just stood there.

/How many times do I have to tell you to run?/

/…I don't want to run. I want to help you./

/Don't be stupid. You need to leave. Now./

/I won't./

I heard the noise of anger he made; he suddenly lunged out at me and grabbed me by the leg. I yelped aloud at his sudden movement.

One hand suddenly released me, and went to his head. His eyes flashed that red color; this time a few seconds longer than before. I felt his grip on my leg beginning to tighten; I tried to pull myself free, but it was as if he was stuck to me; he wouldn't let go.

/…Get out…I told you to leave!/

But I noticed that as he said that, his grip grew tighter and tighter. I heard that horrible coughing noise again; crimson appeared once more. But then I saw the expression change; the nothingness turned around into a slight smirk, which caused me to flinch. I knew what was happening.

"…Why is it…that you never listen to advice? It wouldn't hurt you know…"

In a quick movement, my legs were pulled out from under me and I fell heavily to the floor. Body aching, I tried to get up, but I failed.

"Let go!"

"Why? Weren't you just saying that you didn't want to leave?"

I didn't answer, but instead turned and hit him, as hard as I could. I took off then, not daring to see what had happened.

I got to the front door, and as quickly as I could, I ran outside. Rain was pouring down; I immediately became drenched, but it didn't stop me.

As fast as my legs allowed, I darted through the woods, flinching every now and then at the cold and the thunder that crashed overhead. I kept quiet, and eventually I ran out of breath; I slumped to the ground, keeping my body pressed against a tree.

I heard no footsteps; and I knew he couldn't fly in this condition, with it raining and trees being in the way. I heard a splash then; I held my breath. There were suddenly footsteps; I felt my body get tense.

The minutes seemed like hours as I sat there, wishing to not be seen; but not hearing anything, I peered nervously around once more.

He started to come closer; I shrunk back. He stopped a few steps away; I could feel my heart speeding up, until it started to make my chest ache. I found him with his back turned; I didn't know whether to jump on him or to run away.

_No. I already said…I wasn't going to run. _Summoning my courage, I lashed out. I wound up slamming into him, sending us both crashing to the soggy ground.

"You little-" His voice was strangled with annoyance and anger. He twisted and tried to grab me, but I pinned his arms down.

There was a hate filled growl; and then he jerked upwards. He knocked into my chest, sending me back a bit. Trying to ignore the pain, I tried to grasp his wrist, but he only gave me a hating glare and punched me.

The area spinning in a blur, I fingered the now throbbing place on my face. Through smudged vision, I tried to move away, but I was grabbed and thrown to the ground. "You should've thought it through before you attacked me…"

I could feel him hitting me; I lunged out and tried to push him away, but it only caused things to become worse. I was about to give up; but then everything replayed. I could see it all happening all over; blood, screaming, and crying…

_No! I won't let it go on anymore…_

Using all strength, I hit him back, right across the face. I was so tired of being hurt…

/Bakura, can you hear me?/

Getting no response, I tried again. /Come on, Bakura! I know you can do better than this…/

There was a sudden cry of anger; the figure in front of me was twitching slightly with annoyance. "I'll kill you…"

He snatched up my shirt collar, throwing me bodily into the nearest tree. I tried to break away, but it was as if his grip had grown so much stronger. I started struggling; but then there was a strong jolt of pain.

I winced aloud; I found my shoulder bleeding. I watched in horror as his eyes narrowed; the red grew shadowy, a deep crimson. I knew I was in for it if I didn't get away.

He lunged at me; I quickly moved to the side. Luckily, I had avoided some damage, but there was a graze on the side of my arm.

I took off once more, not pausing to even see where he was. I was growing more and more nervous as I went on.

/Bakura…hey!/

/…Ryou?/

I felt a slight feeling of relief, but I didn't dare slow down. I noticed his voice was a bit quiet, and it sounded strained, but at least he could hear me and answer.

I eventually felt exhaustion stab at me; but I forced myself to keep going. My legs started to grow heavy, but I knew I couldn't stop. But as I kept going, it was harder to breathe, and I eventually felt my legs go out. I fell to the ground, and I couldn't get up.

/Ryou, you need to get up./

/I can't…/

I suddenly heard the footsteps behind me. Anxiously, I peered over my shoulder. The all-too-familiar form loomed over me. "Seems you've finally ran out energy."

I tried to get away, but my body refused. I was still breathing heavy and I could feel my heart racing in my chest. "Unfortunately for you…I still have mine."

I was too winded to answer. My chest ached with a great pain. "You get tired so easily…it's pathetic."

"…Shut…up…"

"Why don't you stand up and say it?"

All I did was growl as a response. The rain was still pouring down; I was practically drenched to the bone with the liquid. The figure towering over me didn't even seem tired, rainwater clinging to him.

My fear was tightly gripping me; the area suddenly spun around. _What's going on? Why is…_

I felt my body become numb; I struggled to get up. "Sorry…but you're going to be stuck there for a while."

"…But…why is-"

"There's no strength left in that body of yours. You used most of it when you kept running…and **I** took the rest."

That grin widened; I knew something bad was coming. I noticed the red eyes staring down at me. My hands suddenly grew cold; the area spun greater, as if someone was spinning me around. And suddenly a sharp pain ran through my body. Letting out a cry, I tried to look behind me.

I saw blood run down my arm, from where my shoulder was hit, but now I could see it running into the puddle of water, under me. I tried to reach back, but it only made everything spin out of control.

/Bakura…what's going on?/

Pain kept stabbing at me through my back; I knew it was being caused by that demon inside my dark. I could hear laughter, but it suddenly stopped. I forced myself to look over my shoulder; the form of my other had fallen to his knees. But he suddenly reached out towards me, and grabbed the surface of my throat. I managed to let out a strangled noise.

/Bakura…/

"…Sorry…but you probably won't be awake any longer to feel the pain…but let me warn you…you might not wake up…"

My body started to grow weak; I tried to fight back, but I couldn't do anything. /What…are you…doing?/

/Taking it all away…the rest of the strength you have…so I'll have a longer time in your dark's body./ I heard more laughter; I could see the wide grin of amusement on his face.

/I'm trying to give it all back…/

/…What?/

/…Giving you your energy back…/

/…I…can't…stay awake…/

/ Ryou please, try. I don't know if…you'll wake up again./

/…I can't…I'm…so tired…and it…hurts…so much…/

The pain in my back was growing stronger, and throbbing continuously. I could feel the sticky liquid running down the center of my body, running through my shirt and into the water. I heard a sudden strangled noise from that figure; he suddenly coughed, sending crimson to the ground. I could see the ink-colored eyes staring downward; I knew that Bakura had broken back in, but for how long?

/Ryou, you have to stay awake…/

/I can't…/

/…Fine./

I felt my body grow cold and still. I couldn't feel anything after that point.

I glanced around in the dark; a lone light came on in the corner. "…I had to go into your soul room…"

I looked to find Bakura there, lighting candles, sending the shadows toward the corners of the room.

He suddenly came over to me; I noticed the blade in his hand. "This might hurt…"

But I didn't feel a thing. Through my foggy vision I could see blood leaking down my hand, but I couldn't feel it. But I felt a strange feeling enter my body; it felt…well, pretty nice. I liked it. The pain eased away as well.

"…This will…probably let you stay awake for a little while…but you still need to sleep anyway."

/Wait. If I need to sleep, then why bother giving me energy?/

"So you don't slip out of consciousness while you're asleep. If that happens, then it will take more effort to give it to you./

I didn't hear what else he said. The room was slowly getting dark. /Bakura…thanks…but…I'm sorry…that…you always get stuck helping me…I'm such a burden for you…/

"…No…I'm the one who's possessed by an evil thing all the time…I'm the one who's probably making you all stressed out and everything."

/…Do…you have your control back now?/

/…Yes. But it took a lot of me to push it back…so there's not much strength left./

/No…it's…okay./

I forced a smile, and then the entire room faded to a pitch black.

* * *

Chapter 12 : End.

Ok, some of you may not have understood this, so feel free to ask questions, and I'll make sure to answer them, ok? Ok!

So, be on the lookout for Chapter 13!


	13. Control Difficulity & Another Attack

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Hi everyone! So, I finally found the time to work on this...and I'm sure some of you are happy to hear that.

Anyway, I may be starting a new story soon...but I'm not going to tell anything about it yet. You'll just have to wait... :)

* * *

/…Ryou. Hey! Get up!/

I let out a slight groan and opened my eyes, at least until the light blinded me. I pulled the blanket back over my head, but it was soon ripped from my grasp. "I already told you to get up."

I reopened my eyes; Bakura loomed over me, pretty much expressionless. "It's past noon already."

I sat upright, but suddenly I felt a sharp pain run through my back. I flinched, but the pain didn't even slightly go away. "…Why does it hurt so much?"

I heard him sigh. "…He got hold of you before…I could force him back inside."

"…But what did he do?"

He pointed to my shoulder. "The same as that…only worse. There's about…four or five wounds on you."

I didn't answer. I forced myself to walk downstairs, despite the throbbing in my spine. As I reached the bottom, I glanced at Bakura. He was walking normal; but suddenly he swayed, but straightened after grabbing support from the wall.

"What's the matter?"

"…Nothing…I'm fine…"

He started coming down the stairs, but then stumbled again. He tightly gripped the railing and continued. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"…Yeah."

I hesitated at first, "…Bakura?"

"What?"

"…About yesterday…what happened exactly? You said something about giving my energy back…but-"

"I meant what I said. I gave you what strength I had remaining. The reason you're probably still dizzy is because of the blood you lost…and you still have to regain the rest of your energy."

"But what about you?"

"…I already said I'm fine."

He brushed past me and into the kitchen. I followed him; he was already making coffee. _He's probably okay if he's in a coffee mood…_

I sat down at the table for a few minutes. The beeping of the coffee maker soon started up; but it didn't stop. I glanced behind me to find Bakura hunched over on the counter. "Bakura, your thing is going off!"

"…Huh?" It stopped then, "…Sorry…I kind of…spaced out."

"…It's fine."

* * *

Bakura had constantly been "spacing out." He seemed really…off.

"…I still don't think-"

"I already told you I'm fine!"

He had got up and started to go up the stairs. I watched in shock as he fell like a stone thrown into a puddle.

I quickly went to his place on the stairway; "Bakura! Hey, get up!"

His eyes opened and he stared back at me, exhaustion printed all over his face.

"…I tried to tell you that you weren't looking so good."

"I already said, for the millionth time-" He stopped, his eyes closing tight, "What's the matter?"

He didn't answer for a long time, and when he did, his voice sounded weak. /…Get away from me…/

"But-"

/Ryou…how many times do we have to go over this? Now go away!/

"…No."

/ Do you not remember what happened the last time?/ He didn't wait for me to answer. /Now leave!/

At first, I didn't know what to do. I just sat there; but then I heard the strangled noise escape from my dark. I found him clutching his clothes, body twitching slightly.

"Come on Bakura…just give it up…"

"Leave me alone…"

"Humph…now why should I do that?"

I watched his grip grow tighter; I couldn't bring myself to do anything.

"It will go away if you just give in Bakura…"

"Shut up…I'm not like you…"

"Oh, I know…but I'll fix that…" There was a slight pause, "You either give it up…or I'll make you."

He screamed suddenly; I flinched. /Ryou, now…get out of-/

The link was broken; coughs filled the room. I watched in silence; that crimson appeared, getting on his clothes and on the carpet.

"Go on Bakura…you know you want to push him away…"

"Ryou listen to me already! Get-" A scream escaped his throat, forcing the sentence to an end.

"Quiet. You talk to me and me only."

I felt guilt stirring up inside me. I was just watching in complete silence as that thing was only making things worse. I felt my hand clench up, "Leave him alone!"

Bakura glanced over in my direction, body giving off that same twitch-like movement. One eye was closed, and the other was switching constantly between black and a light shade of red. "Ryou, for the **last time**…"

"I already told you I'm not leaving."

There was a growl; the next thing I knew he was on top of me, pinning down my arms, sitting on my legs. I tried to move, but to no avail. I let out a cry of distress; it only caused him to put more weight upon me. "Bakura-"

"Shut up. He's not here anymore…"

I could feel the strain upon me as he increased the pressure; I yelled out, but the only thing I received was a blow to my face, causing a slight noise to escape. I looked back into his gaze with my jaw pounding. His eyes were that same red color, a slight smirk lingering upon his face.

"I never understood that about you; how you always ignored your other and just stayed…it's really pointless you know."

I felt that same pain in my face again; I struggled to free myself once more, but he merely put more weight on me. "You're so weak…"

"Get off!"

"Make me."

I felt a sharp pain run through me once more; this time it threw itself right through my chest. I let out a cry and struggled, but it only made it grow. I wound up falling still, and as the seconds lengthened to minutes, I began to see the red liquid run through the fabric of my shirt.

"Humph. As I said before…you're too weak."

I could feel anger boiling up, "GET OFF!"

How I did it, I don't know, but I wound knocking him off me and onto the floor. By this point, everything was getting blurry. I rubbed my eyes a few times, but no change.

"…Getting angry are we?"

"Shut up."

I heard a small amount of laughter. "It's affecting you as well…"

"What?"

"Anger and hate…pushing itself to the surface. Doesn't it feel good to fight back…to actually let out all negativity on others, especially those you dislike?" He didn't allow me to answer. "Face it. He's slipping away from you…and you're slipping away from him. And all the while…that gap that's now inside…is being filled up…with **me**."

"…But…that doesn't make any sense."

"Of course it does…you'll see it…very soon in fact…well…not unless you die first."

I forced myself to my feet and tried to run, but I was grabbed by the back of my neck and thrown forward. Pain filled my sides; I gazed down through my clouded vision to find myself hanging over the table. I could hear him moving around; the next thing I felt was a sharp pain, just like the one before.

I was growing tired, and the pain…it hurt so much. /Bakura…wake up…/

/…I'm…trying to…get back…/

/…Bakura…make…it stop…/

/…Just hold on…okay?/

/…But…it…it hurts…/

The room started going in circles then; I peered over my shoulder, but it only resulted in my body being thrown. I hit the wall, pain racing around, the room spinning. With my sight failing, I could see him coming towards me. I quickly looked around for something.

Struggling, I came to my feet and grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a vase. I heard the sudden collision; there was a weird noise, and then nothing but the sound of shattering glass. I sunk back down to the floor, body aching and weak.

"…You little…"

Blinking, I could make out the red fluid upon the floor, staining it and the surrounding glass. I inched back until I bumped into the wall; he took one step at a time toward me, blood leaking from small wounds, glass sinking into parts of his body. /…Bakura…I can't…/

In one swift movement, the room went around, as if I was physically spinning around myself. My head began to ache tremendously, and my vision started fading in and out, like a flickering candle. /Please…I can't…hold on anymore…/

I couldn't stop my body from slumping. I jump wound up falling sideways onto the floor, the area now growing dark. /Ryou, not yet…don't close your eyes…/

/…I…can't…do it anymore…/

I heard a noise, but I couldn't decide if it was a scream or a yell; but I could feel something gripping my arm. /Ryou, get up…/

/…I…I can't…/

/Yes you can. Don't even try it. Or do you still want him to classify you as weak?/

Lifting my head up slightly from the floor, I saw the deep black eyes staring back at me. /…Bakura…?/

Still gripping my arm, he pulled me to my feet. I was now on edge; I could barely see, let alone stay upright by myself. But through what remained of my vision, I could see the crimson, still emerging from various areas. A blotch of red was on me as well.

/…Bakura…I…I'm…really sorry…/

"Nah. Don't be. I'm the one…who keeps letting him loose."

But I didn't hear what else he said. The area around me went black, and I felt myself tilt backwards. The last visible thing was Bakura try to grab me; but I never felt myself hit the floor; so I knew he must have caught me. Everything went away, but I forced myself to smile, knowing that he was back, even if it was for the time being.

* * *

Chapter 13 : End.

Next time : Bakura's control is constantly being in danger. Ryou, somewhat nervous, is starting to watch him more carefully. But when the demon inside Bakura takes over and gets hold of something really dangerous...what will happen?

Chapter 14 coming soon!


	14. Cornered & Another Situation

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Hi guys! Well, here's the next chapter!

It makes me really happy to know you are reading and enjoying this...thanks everyone!

* * *

I woke up to find the room in darkness. I struggled upright, only to grab at my chest. Pain started stirring up; I found myself starting to lean forward, but my gaze lifted at the sound of footsteps.

"I'm guessing it still hurts?"

"Yeah…"

Bakura stood in the doorway, arms decorated with bandages. He stared at me a few seconds, then looked away. "…Ryou…I'm sorry…"

I didn't answer. It was extremely rare that Bakura actually said he was sorry, in fact, I don't think I ever heard him actually say it before. I didn't even really know how to react.

"…No…it's…it's okay," I managed to say.

"No it's not. Nothing is all right anymore. Everything is literally falling apart…and if it doesn't stop…I…don't know what'll happen to you." He still made no eye contact..

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is…if this keeps up, with me constantly losing control and everything…I…don't know if there will be anything I can do if…"

He broke off into pure silence; his hand moved onto his wrist, and I could tell by his expression something wasn't right. I had never seen him act this way before.

"…If…he tries to kill you…and I may not…be able to regain my control in time."

I could tell by this point he was feeling uncomfortable. He started to walk out, but I quickly got up and ran after him. "Bakura wait!"

He merely glanced over his shoulder at the same time I grabbed his wrist. He said nothing, but I didn't need words; his eyes told me everything. "…It's not your fault."

"You know it is."

"But Bakura…it's really not! Look, I know you're feeling really bad about all this, but none of it is your fault! And…you're trying…really hard to make it stop…"

There was nothing but silence at first, but then he spoke. "…Look…I didn't want to do this…because I was hoping everything would be better by now but…apparently it isn't." He paused, and then looked away, "…You're not going to see me much anymore."

"…What? Where…where are you going?"

"No where…but my soul room door…won't open much anymore."

"…So…you're…locking yourself up?" I didn't wait for a response. "No…I…"

"…It's for the best."

"But Bakura!"

"No excuses."

He started to walk away again; I suddenly felt a tight feeling in my chest of anguish. I felt the tears slowly creeping up into my eyes; I tried to hold them back. I ran a hand over my face, desperately trying to wipe them away, but I failed.

Now I really was alone. Sure, there were people at school but…they didn't really understand. I never told them much; I never talked much at all.

Tears ran down the sides of my face; I wound up sinking to the floor, sitting with legs against my chest. I couldn't stop my crying; I just felt horrible.

* * *

Three days had passed by. I had heard very little from Bakura. Sure, he would speak to me every now and then, but otherwise, my mind was empty. I didn't cry over it since he first left, but I felt so miserable. I was now truly alone.

When I tried to talk to Bakura, he would never answer me. Last night I couldn't even sleep; but during the deep silence, I thought I heard footsteps, but when I peered into the hallway, there was nothing there.

_I know he's trying to protect me but…maybe it's just an excuse…maybe…I did something wrong. _I felt my hand clench the pillow upon my bed. _I'm always in the way. This is my fault…not his. I'm always staying behind when he tells me to leave…which means when that thing takes over…he has to fight even harder to regain control and protect me. He…had every right to be mad at me. _Without warning, I felt the familiar substance run down my face.

I pulled the blanket up and let it rest upon the back of my head, tears still coming from my eyes. I rubbed them away and merely stared ahead in the darkness. The sudden thought made me flinch slightly.

/Ryou…hey. Are you all right?/

I didn't answer. Of course I wasn't; I was hurting so much. Maybe I was just upset but…it hurt much worse. /…Uh huh./

/You don't sound okay. What's wrong?/

/Nothing./

/…Are you sure?/

/I already said it's nothing!/ Tears ran down my face once more; I let them. I didn't even try to stop; I started sobbing.

/…Ryou…are you crying?/

/No…just…leave me alone./ I kept on with my cries/It's not like matters anyway./

/If it didn't matter, would I be asking you about it?/

I didn't answer. That ache only made my chest seem like it was growing tighter; I suddenly heard a slight noise. I didn't bother to look up, at least until I heard footsteps.

To my surprise, I found Bakura standing next to me as I glanced upwards. The liquid continued to travel down my face, eyes brimming with it.

I found a deep gash in his wrist; blood was slowly going down his hand and dripping onto the floor. He must have noticed, because he took it his other hand, and mumbled something.

"…Ryou. I know you're upset. You don't have to lie."

I didn't look at him anymore. Clutching the pillow tightly, I asked quietly, "Bakura, are you…mad at me?"

"No. Why would I be?"

I didn't answer, but a small noise came instead. A sigh came from him; he quietly took the covers off me and forced me upright. "Tell me what's going on."

I tried not to look at him, but he grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. "…I…just…" I never got to finish. The tears came again, not as much, but a few lone ones dripped down.

"Quit crying."

"Sorry…"

His expression softened slightly and he released me. I quickly put my head down and rubbed at my eyes; by this point I knew they were probably red. I found blood on my hand; I flinched. I glanced at Bakura, whose wrist was stilling leaking with blood. He was standing there, eyes a bit out of focus, bloody hand in his other.

"…Bakura?"

He blinked, "Huh?"

"Umm…your wrist is still…bleeding."

He glanced down, "…Oh."

"…Did you hurt yourself or something?"

"…It's the other way around. Someone hurt me." He walked over to my dresser and fumbled through a few things and pulled out a couple bandages. "I'm actually a bit glad I locked myself up for a bit…because he got loose again. But this time…he couldn't hurt anyone. Then he started to get angry…and started attacking himself. I guess since it's basically my form he thought I would take all the pain but…he probably felt some of it when he did it."

He was done by now; he twisted his arm around, examining his work, and then the mirror on the wall caught his eye. He went over to it; it was the only one in my room. It was a full mirror, not old, but not new either.

He stood in front of it, gazing at his reflection, but then he took a slight step back.

"Bakura?"

"It's…not me."

"What are you talking about?"

"My reflection…changed. That's not me!"

I got up and peered into it myself. To my surprise, he was right. There was no reflection; there was just a silhouette. I reached out to try to wipe off the glass, but suddenly, the figure took on a different appearance. This time, it seemed like Bakura's true reflection; but it suddenly grinned back at him. I found that the eyes were red; and it seemed all too familiar.

"…You can't hide from me Bakura."

Its' eyes focused on his arm, "It seems like you tried to fix that wound of yours." Then he looked at me, "…How about showing your hikari there what caused it?"

"…No."

"Oh don't be like that…go on…let me in…just for a second."

"I already said no!"

"…Fine."

Then something strange occurred; the form in the mirror lashed out and grabbed Bakura by the shirt, sending him crashing to the floor. But then it disappeared; my other was motionless.

I finally found my voice, "Are you okay?"

"…He should be."

I took a small step backwards; he glanced at me. "Where do you think you're going?"

I didn't bother to wait any longer; I ran. I already knew what was coming. Behind me I could hear the voice, "You can run…but I'll catch you."

Footsteps echoed throughout the empty hall. Things flashed throughout my mind; I could feel my heart beating faster and faster, thumping like a jackhammer in my chest.

I turned the corner and paused only for a second, leaning on the wall. I fingered the spot of my chest, but my heart refused to calm. I quickly took off again at the sound of him approaching.

_I've got to keep going…I can't let him catch up._ I eventually made it to the stairs; I ran down them, jumping over steps constantly. I left the house behind me, darting throughout the trees. Luckily, it wasn't raining, but unfortunately, it was dark. But I had been used to being thrown into darkness so many times before, and all that time, I had to feel my way through it, so it wasn't like this was any different.

Running out of places to go, I ran to the edge of the pond. It was a pretty large and deep; I was never able to touch the bottom. Glancing around, I grabbed the nearest tree branch and hoisted myself upwards. I went up a few more branches and stopped, gazing at the ground.

Soon enough, he appeared, walking slowly and looking around. "I know you're here…"

I barely dared to breathe. He stopped, but then he passed by, going up to the water's edge. I breathed a small sigh of relief. I shifted my weight, which only caused a loud cracking noise. _Oh no…_

He whirled around, looking up towards me. "There you are…"

I tried to get down, but almost instantly, he was next to me. I inched back; I felt nothing but air behind me. "Fall…"

And then he shoved me. I shut my eyes, the memory of being pushed out the window flashing inside my mind. I let out a long scream, but it was cut off. Extreme pain flooded through my back; I flung out, but only felt the same thing, and I knew it was water. I was enveloped in nothing but pitch black.

Then I saw a slight shadow of his face, right in front of my own. /Let's see if you feel it the same way he did…/

Then there was a sharp pain in my arm. Through the dark, I felt around, and felt blood flowing out of my arm. I shook my head and tried to go forward, but he remained in front of me. /You won't be going anywhere…but down./

He grabbed me by the shoulders; I struggled. My chest started to ache, filling with pain. _Am I…dying? Is this what it feels like…to drown… to suffocate?_

I could feel the need to breathe increasing; I struggled as hard as I possible could, but no avail. I finally felt my body grow weak; I stopped.

_I guess…I…am going to die…_

/Bakura…I'm…sorry…this…might be the…last time we…/

But I couldn't go on. My chest felt like it was going to explode. I felt lightheaded; and then, I felt a few lone bubbles escape my throat, as my last breath faded away.

* * *

Chapter 14 : End.

Agghhh! I'm so sorry that I did that...

But just so you know...the story isn't over yet!

Next time: Bakura, finding Ryou nothing more than a limp figure, becomes anxious, and the feeling only grows when he can't wake Ryou up. He wants to take him to the hospital, but he knows he can't go there the way he looks. When all options are used, and Ryou still does not awaken, how far is Bakura willing to go?


	15. Sacrificing to Revive

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Next chapter! Anyway, I would have sent this in yesterday but I was having some technical difficulties. So here it is!

Oh, by the way, this chapter is told from Bakura's POV.

* * *

I found myself standing in the water, a blade in my hand. I felt dizzy, but then I realized that I must have lost control. I suddenly thought about where Ryou had gone; I yelled for him, but no answer.

I felt something nudge against me; I twitched and stuck my hand into the murky depths; my hand stopped at what I felt. _Please let it be something else…_

But I was sadly correct. There, being clutched was my drenched hikari. I shook him a bit, but I received no response. "Ryou?"

I climbed out and put him on the ground, nudging him. "Can you hear me?"

There was still no answer. At fist, I thought he had just fallen unconscious again; but then I noticed his chest wasn't moving. _Oh crap…_

I put a hand over his chest; there was a weak, quiet heartbeat, and I could feel a slight amount of air passing through, but not enough to make his body move. I mumbled a curse under my breath; things were only going to the edge.

I started to take him by the arm, but the sudden feel made me let go. I found blood on my hands; I glanced at the spot. Blood was flowing from an open wound; I stared at it for a few seconds. It wasn't that deep, but a measurable size, from about his elbow to his wrist.

I pried the bandage off my wrist, making a small amount of blood start to leak, but I didn't care. I tied it the best I could around the gash, blood quickly pressing onto the fabric. I hauled Ryou off the ground, and whether or not I didn't want to, put him on my back, and started back for the house.

* * *

I carried him into the bathroom, putting him on a few towels to prevent the floor from getting wet, and I dried him off a little bit. I then removed the bandage; blood quickly came out. I fumbled for the previous used material, and held the towel to the spot, but soon wrapped it around his arm and set it down. I then dug through the drawers, finally finding a roll of white bandages.

Getting up from the floor, I went to the kitchen, and grabbing a bowl from the cupboard, went back to the room. I came back to find Ryou twitching a little, but not moving otherwise. At least he wasn't really dead…

Setting the bowl in the sink, I rummaged through many cabinets and drawers until I found a bottle of peroxide. Pouring it, I glanced over at Ryou, who was still giving off a slight twitch. I sighed aloud; I was starting to hate myself for it all. Screwing the cap back on, I managed to tear off some of the bandages and put them in the container, now filled with the substance.

While I waited, I decided to remove the towel from his arm, but when I did so, I visibly flinched. There was blood staining it, and it was still flowing. At first, I just stood there, but then I fumbled around and turned it the other way, once more putting it around.

I lifted the basin out of the sink and set it on the ground, next to where I was working. Then, briefly removing the towel, I took a bandage and wrapped it around the spot. The twitching continued; the sudden thought I heard made me flinch.

There was screaming: loud, continuous screams, that weren't dying down. I stared at my other; he made no sound. I realized Ryou must have been screaming inside; but it was brought to me through the mental link. Perhaps it was the peroxide; it was probably burning. But why was he screaming and not bothering to speak?

But everything fell silent. /Ryou, can you hear me?/

No answer came. I groaned aloud, slapping a hand to my forehead. Maybe he couldn't speak to me. I continued with my bandaging, and when I finished, there only a small spot of blood appearing. I threw the towels into the corner; I'd put them somewhere later.

* * *

Two days had ticked past, and Ryou remained the same way. Unspeaking, unmoving, not doing anything with eyes still closed. I had to admit, by this point I was growing nervous. Never had he stayed like this with a blank mind. The only movements I had gotten were the small twitches the day it happened. The only thing he did was scream, and it was less than a minute.

I wanted to take him to the hospital, and I almost started to, but there was nothing I could do with these stupid wings protruding out of my back. I mentally kicked myself for it all.

But the thing that made me worry the most was his pulse. I had been checking it a few hours at a time, and earlier, it was skipping, low, and I had to strain to feel it. I knew that Ryou wasn't going to last much longer…there was something wrong.

I was now standing in front of his soul room door. Taking in a small breath, I twisted the heavy handle and swung the door open. The room was only half lit, one side being so, and the other one in complete darkness. I took a step forward, calling out for my light. Getting no answer, I started on the lighted side.

Finding nothing, I started to go to the darkened spot, but then I saw something. Kneeling down, I found part of Ryou, sprawled on the ground, back facing me. His body was cloaked by the shadows, and only a small part was actually in the light. I tried to lift him up, but I couldn't. It was like he was glued to the floor.

I nudged him, but as I starting doing so, I saw a shadow come out and cover another part of his form. By now, the only thing lighted was his face. "Ryou, wake up!"

I heard the thumping in my ears; it skipped, and then it started to grow quieter. I realized it was the pulse of his heart. "Ryou wake up! Wake up!"

I was shaking him like crazy by this point. I saw another piece of the dark lengthen across his face; I tried to pull him out, but nothing happened. "Ryou get up! You can't…"

And then, as the shadow came again, I grabbed my hikari, madly trying to free him, but to no avail. "You can't…you can't die…"

Grabbing him tight, I continued yelling, "You can't take him away!"

And then the shadow spread throughout the room, making Ryou disappear from my sight. I could still feel his arm in my hands; then it grew silent, and as I felt around on the floor, there was nothing there.

I was speechless; at first, I just sat there, hands now empty, pressed against the ground, and then I felt something I had never felt before. It was hard to explain, but suddenly, just like that, I started screaming. It was as if I was breaking down myself.

I felt my hand collide with the floor, my voice raised so loud I could hear it echoing. _Why didn't I try harder?_

/…B…Bakura…/

I literally jerked upwards at the thought. /Ryou?/

But, as usual, there wasn't an answer. I got up from my place on the ground and went around, and then I found something I wish I hadn't. There, sitting in the corner, was Ryou. His face was colorless, and blood was leaking freshly from the wound on his arm. As if hearing my approach, his eyes slightly opened, not even enough for me to see the pupils. He had no smile, and kept his head bent downwards.

Without even looking at me, his voice came, "…I…I'm…sorry…"

I went up to him and tried to haul him up, but there was a sharp pain in my hands; it made me retract. Ryou, motionless, didn't bother to look up at me. "What reason do you have to be sorry? You haven't even done anything."

I didn't receive a response or even a glance. I finally wound up taking Ryou by the neck and forcing him to look up at me. The pain in my hands grew worse, but I ignored it all, and stared my light right in the eyes.

"I never said you had to talk. But I do want you to at least look at me."

His eyes were not the same shade they were before. They had dulled out to a light black. It looked like he was getting ready to fall unconscious right then.

"Ryou talk to me. Don't look away. Tell me what's going on." Still getting nothing, I tightened my grasp, kneeling down at his level. "Ryou come on."

His eyes started to avert, but I grabbed him by the shoulders and held him still, keeping one hand on his neck. "Don't avert your gaze. Just listen to me. At least try to talk to me! Please, at least try…"

Then, all of a sudden, his eyes swelled up with tears, running down his face from the murky orbs. I had never really felt this desperate to get him to speak. Come to think of it, I had never really said please to Ryou before either.

The substance continued to run down his pale cheeks. I released him, but he reached out and took my arm. "…I'm not going anywhere."

Ryou, still not making eye contact, only kept his grip upon my sleeve. But then he titled forward and fell to the floor, hand slipping off me.

As I bent down, I saw that his eyes were closed again, and his breathing was getting lighter and lighter. I sat down next to him and forced him upright, feeling the sudden failure in his breathing. I felt the room getting colder; the silence was complete.

Taking in a breath, I braced myself. The room spun around a few times as a small spark of light spread across the area; my vision grew foggy. Staggering upright, still holding onto Ryou, I could feel my entire body getting a strange feeling. It was just like before, that time when I had given up my strength to help out. But this time, I could feel myself getting faint.

I knew what I was doing. I was willing to sacrifice. It was just like giving up my strength, but this time, it was much more than that. I felt my legs beginning to slide out from under me; I wound up falling, but I didn't hit the floor.

Ryou was slightly upright, grasping my arm. I couldn't stand back up; I could feel myself draining like a well. I couldn't even hold myself up anymore. I forced a glance over my shoulder; his eyes remained shadowed, barely any eye contact, but he was managing to stay on his feet.

"…At least…you're trying now." I said, forcing a grin onto my face.

My legs went out all the way; I felt the coldness of the floor beneath me. I could hear my name; I forced a response, "What do you want?"

"...What happened? What's...what's going on?"

"Don't worry about it…just…get some sleep…I'll tell you tomorrow…if…I'm awake."

"But…"

"Hey. So…you're…okay…right?"

"…My chest hurts."

Now on a struggle, I found my voice cracking, "It'll…go away…eventual-"

The area grew pitch black for me; I had nothing left to keep me awake. All energy was sucked right out of me. I could hear my name being called over and over, but I couldn't answer. /…Ryou…I'll…be…fine…just…relax…/

I felt my eyes close; the final light I saw was the one from the ring go out.

* * *

Chapter 15 : End.

Next time: Ryou, now back awake, wants to know what had happened before. But Bakura, who transferred everything, is only weak, trying to recover. Once more, the control slips from his grasp. Ryou tries to help, only to get in more danger. Bakura, forcing himself to an edge, tries to regain control, only making things go in a horrible direction. Ryou, feeling very upset and guilty, tries his best to help, but his other is not getting any better. Ryou, now sinking in his own depression, begins to lose his hope and cheer. And then, something happens, as if he had now lost everything.

Chapter 16 coming soon!


	16. Trying to Reason & Control Slips

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Next chapter, whoot! I've been trying to make the updates faster, and this is the result.

By the way, the story is now back in Ryou's POV.

* * *

I merely stood there, partially holding the now unconscious form of my dark. I couldn't remember much, but I did remember getting held under the water until everything went dark. _Did…he bring me back to life? Or was I never really dead?_

The pounding in my arm made my thoughts shatter; I sunk to the floor. I let go of Bakura, clutching the place where it ached. I now noticed the reddening bandage tied around my lower arm. The pain only made my grip tighten until I couldn't do so anymore.

I could remember the blood rushing out, but I couldn't remember what had hit me. Sure, it could've been him but…what could he have hit me with?

Trying the best to ignore the ache, I hauled Bakura off the floor and put him in the bed, which was lodged in the corner. I then sat down upon the ground, hand clutching the thumping place, and eventually, I fell asleep.

* * *

Light flooded the room, causing me to let out a moan and shut my eyes. It was my actual room; I had gone out of the soul room long before. I was so tired. The pain in my arm was only aching more and more.

Seeing Bakura at the bottom of the stairs was a huge surprise to me. He was holding onto the railing tightly, head bent downwards.

"Bakura?"

He glanced at me; exhaustion was printed across his face, eyes dark. He said nothing, but his eyes spelled it out for me. Then, all of sudden, there was a grin upon his face. I took a step backwards, quickly trying to move away.

He stayed at his place on the stairs, and then, I saw the smirk on his face only grow wider. The eyes changed; I kept stepping back and eventually fell. He started coming towards me; I started screaming, hands now placed over my head.

He grabbed hold of my wrist; I tried to break away, but it only grew tighter. "Let me go! Get away!"

"Ryou! RYOU!"

He was kneeling down next to me, eyes adjusted on mine. I could now see it was just my imagination; was I going insane?

I felt my eyes beginning to water; I quickly wiped away the tears. "Are you okay?"

I only shook my head, now crying. "Ryou?"

I felt a nudge; I glanced upwards. "Tell me what's wrong."

His voice was calm, and he was trying to be gentle, I could tell. "I…just…thought you were…and this…it's…"

Apparently he understood, because he looked away. I merely kept quiet, keeping my head bent and avoiding his gaze.

"Ryou. We need to talk."

I didn't answer. He moved onto the same step and sat next to me, hands draped over his legs, which were brought up to his chest. He didn't speak for a long time, so I broke the silence.

"…About what?" I asked, still trying to rub away the substance.

"About everything." He stared at me with no expression, "…About…that day."

"Which one? This has been happening for so long that…"

"I know. I mean a few days back; when you were out of it." He looked away, and then started up again in a lower voice, "…I let him…I didn't try hard enough. That's why you wound up getting hurt."

"That's a lie. You always try so hard to-"

"But that time was different." I could hear the strain in his voice; it caused my words to fade away. I merely listened.

We talked for a bit. I told him about how I ran; he said he couldn't remember anything, but he did wake up with a knife in his hand. It dawned on me that I had been stabbed. Bakura, voice low, explained how I was and how he managed to wake me up.

There was a long amount of silence. Bakura made no eye contact at all with me, looking the other way. I broke the silence, "Bakura…tell me how it all started. How you became this way."

But he didn't answer. Knowing that all I was going to receive was silence, I changed the subject. "Can you…at least tell me why we're having this rivalry?"

The question made him finally look at me. "What do you mean?"

"I just…feel like we're in the middle of a fight. You kept saying it's your fault and I keep saying it's mine but…doesn't that mean that…it's either both of ours…or none of ours?"

I received a blank stare as a response. Bakura then turned his head; keeping eyes level with the bottom of the stairs. "…Ryou. Just listen to me. This is my fault. I'm not trying to make this an argument or a fight. I'm just trying to explain to you that none of this has been caused by you. Who let it happen? Who keeps trying to kill? Who keeps-"

"Stop it! Just stop it!" I screamed, interrupting the sentence. I burst out crying once more; I tried to stop but I couldn't. "I don't care! I don't care whose fault it is anymore! NO MORE! I don't want…us to keep fighting anymore…"

I buried my face in my hands with tears still leaking down my face. The room was silent besides my cries. I could feel my body trembling; then there was a sudden feeling that only made my tears flow faster.

Bakura had me in an embrace, completely silent. I dug my fingers into his back, still crying. I just felt so horrible.

"It's okay…don't cry anymore." His voice was low, and I could tell he was trying really hard to comfort me. After a few minutes, I managed to stop. He let me go, no longer looking me in the eyes. I knew the previous hug had probably embarrassed him.

"…I don't want it to be like this any longer. I hate us fighting. I hate how we can never talk anymore because of that thing lurking inside you. I want everything to go back to the way it was."

"Ryou…I don't know if it's possible."

"…I know…but I just…want it all to change."

* * *

"What do you want?"

"You know what I'm after…"

Blood was in puddles upon the floor, feathers everywhere. I kept inching away, hand clutching a measurable wound. "Die."

I felt him hurl me to the floor; my vision fogged up quickly. It grew harder for me to breathe; I wound up coughing, pain filling up my chest. Then as a final strike of pain raced through me, the entire world went black as I let out a cry.

My eyes flashed open and I sat bolt upright. My heart was pounding in my chest; I fingered my body and found no wounds. I sighed aloud; it must have been a dream.

"…I…must be going crazy by now." I kept a hand to my forehead, trying to calm down. I heard a few footsteps; Bakura stood in the doorway.

"…What happened?"

"…Nothing…just a nightmare." I mumbled, laying back down and pulling the covers over my head.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No…but…it's just as if…I'm not talking to the real you. Bakura, I'm sorry…but it just doesn't feel the same anymore," I said, my voice quiet.

"…I understand. I'll…keep a distance from now on." He turned on his heel, but froze for a second. "I know how you feel. I just don't want you getting hurt…so I'm…just going to stay away."

I took a glance to see him walk out of the room, and somewhere, I heard a door slam, making my own shake. Deep inside I could feel my guilt growing. _You may say you understand…but I don't think you understand how sorry I really am…and how hard this really is._

Climbing out of bed, I peered outside into the hall, finding his door shut. I crept down the corridor and pried the door open to find Bakura sitting in the corner. I had to strain to hear the words that were being said.

"Get out of here. You've already caused enough."

"Don't be so cold…you know I'm not going to leave."

A growl escaped from my other's throat, "Just wait. When I see you I'm going to-"

"You'll do nothing but fail Bakura. I'll get hold of that hikari of yours, and when I do…I assure you he'll be nothing but a memory. Now get out of my way."

I heard the partial screams coming from the opposite side of the room. _Bakura…_

As if hearing my thoughts, he looked up. "Well…what do we have here? Seems someone stumbled into the wrong place…at the wrong time."

My first instinct told me to run, but I declined. I didn't want us to be fighting any longer. Bracing myself, I stood firm in the doorway. /Ryou run…/

/No. I'm not going to run away anymore./

I saw him coming closer, body darkened by the shadows. He grabbed me by the shoulders and threw me into the wall; I made no movement to fight back. But when he started tearing the bandages off, I felt myself flinch. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to make it hurt."

And it did. The pain flooded in, growing by the minute. Blood started to flow once more from the wound, dripping off my fingers. A cry escaped my throat as he continued. I could feel him digging into the gash with his nails, only making it worse. Through all the pain, I swung out and kicked him as hard as I could, but there was only a light wince and nothing more. The pain only increased; then I felt it stop.

His face was close to mine; blood was smeared across his hands and clothes, and dripping onto the floor. My arm was bleeding like crazy, vision was blurred out and my balance was off. He kept his eyes on my own, red and narrowed, a smirk placed across his face.

"I don't think you realize how much fun it is to see you in pain…to see you twitch and scream, trying to fight back or get away. And the best part…" he trailed off and ran a hand across my face, leaving a long line of blood, "Is the crimson river of life that comes right out of you."

I felt my body shaking; the room was blurring. My hand went to my arm, trying to cease the pain or at least slow down the bleeding, but he only grabbed my wrist. "Seems you're stuck." He grinned at me, but I felt no fear. I was completely angered and hurt.

Swinging out with my leg, I kicked him harder, and in between the pause, I hit him with my injured arm. The result was a lucky one; I managed to pull away. I took off at once, arm still pounding. My vision didn't allow much; I kept smacking into the walls and other objects. And when I finally made it to the stairs, I could barely see. Footsteps echoed behind me; I started down the steps only to be grabbed my shirt.

"You little…" His eyes were deep with hate. Staring over my shoulder, I struggled, hitting him across the face. His eyes turned a deep shade of red, flashing with anger. He tugged my arm back, pushing on my legs, and sending me crashing to the floor. Pinning my arms behind me, I felt him press his knee in between my shoulder blades; constantly increasing how much weight he put on me. I started screaming aloud, but then he dragged me up and tried to throw me. But I latched onto his arm, sending us both flying from the stairs. "I hate you! I HATE YOU!" I was screaming it at the top of my lungs, my body underneath his. In one swift movement, I grabbed him and twisted about until he was now under me, and then, I heard a loud thud.

I was shaking madly, holding onto his wrists and sitting on top of him, both of us on the floor. He started to get up, but before he could, I grabbed hold of the nearest object, and with the heaviest swing, hit him. There was a crash, and then, nothing but silence. The clock was upon the floor, now silent.

Blood was still running from my wound; the room was spinning like crazy. There was a moan, and then Bakura's eyes flickered open. He blinked, eyes black and he appeared to be exhausted.

I moved off of him, but he couldn't sit up, so I helped. "Ryou what happened here? What's with-"

He spotted the gash on my arm; he reached out and took my arm. "How long has it been bleeding?"

"…I…I don't know…well over five minutes I think…"

Body shaking tremendously, he shakily stood, leading me into the kitchen. He was walking sideways, but he didn't seem to care. "It's…not a big deal you know."

"Are you crazy? You could've bled to death if I didn't already break back in, especially if he had only made it deeper!"

"Bakura really…I'm…fine…" It was all a lie. The room was spinning faster and faster, and my vision finally went out. My legs grew heavy, and I heard my name be called. "I'm…so tired…" I managed to say, voice weak, and then, the entire room went pitch black.

* * *

Chapter 16 : End.

Next time: The attack has only made Ryou's wound worse, finding much blood has been lost. Bakura's control keeps trying to slip away, but he's trying to maintain it. When a dramatic situation occurs to the Yami spirit and puts Ryou in depression, due to the fact that nothing he does helps, what happens?

Until next time!


	17. A Shot is Fired

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Whoot, next chapter is now up! (Noticed I've been getting faster with the updates? Lol.)

Anyway, on with the story!

* * *

I opened my eyes, body feeling weak and heavy. Struggling, I climbed out of bed and made my way into the hall. From there I went down the stairs, pushing past my other, who was seated at the kitchen table. I didn't speak and merely sat down across from him.

"Are you feeling any better?"

I didn't answer. I was still exhausted and I could feel the thumping in my injured arm. My head was rested upon my arms, and my eyes roamed onto his figure. His eyes were dark, black as night. I merely shrugged as an answer, pressing my head further down upon my arms.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing," I replied, my voice barely audible.

Bakura didn't answer, but instead looked away. My eyes caught the clock; I got up. "I've got to go. I'll be late." Turning on my heel and not waiting for a response, I grabbed my bag and shut the front door behind me.

* * *

The day was long and hard for me. Constantly I kept almost falling asleep and the pain in my arm just wouldn't go away. Luckily for me, it was rather cold that day and I was able to slide past people seeing the bandages by keeping my jacket on.

I was now sitting alone at one of the many tables. I wasn't hungry, but I couldn't remember the last time I had really ate a real meal. There was a pencil being gripped lightly in my hand, and a half-filled piece of paper in front of me. I didn't even notice that someone had sat down next to me until they poked me. I flinched, eyes looking up to see Yugi staring back at me.

"…Hi," I mumbled, now readjusting my eyes onto the paper.

He peered over, trying to read what I had written. "What are you doing?"

"…Oh…it's nothing," I said, quickly sweeping it off the table and into my pocket. I presently sat my head back down upon my arms, quickly staring off into space.

"Are you feeling okay? You look a bit…pale."

"…I'm fine."

"...Why aren't you eating anything?"

"I'm just…not hungry today," I replied, feeling that uneasy feeling settle deeper inside. _What's wrong with me? Why do I feel so…miserable?_

My thoughts trailed off, and I felt the pain suddenly thump once more. I lifted a hand and clutched at it, trying not to let anyone notice. _I just…want all this to stop. _

* * *

I walked into the doorway, dropping my belongings to the floor with a heavy thump. Dragging my feet, I flopped down on the couch, letting my eyes close. I then heard my other's voice, "…I was sitting there you know."

I opened my eyes to see him standing beside me. He cleared his throat once, and I felt that he wanted me to scoot. When I didn't, he grabbed my legs and pulled me to one side, to the other side of the couch. I still made no action to move. He sat down next to me, and gave me a cold glance.

I could feel that uneasy feeling completely engulf the inside of my body. Unexpectedly, tears started to show up in my eyes. Bakura made no comment, but stared at me. I sat bolt upright, trying to hold them back. I jumped up and started to run, but he grabbed the back of my shirt. "What's the matter with you?"

"I should be asking you that!" My voice was raised as high as it would go, and the substance slowly began to trickle down my face. "You all hate me! ALL OF YOU!" I ran up the stairs and slammed the door behind me.

Sinking onto my bed, I didn't notice how good it felt to actually lay down. I stared at the far wall, and then I heard a sudden knock. I didn't bother to answer. The door opened and I heard his voice.

"…Ryou…just tell me what's wrong. It'll make you feel better."

"No it won't," I growled, not even looking in his direction.

"Well fine. If you're just going to be negative and blow me off I won't help. You can do it yourself. I'm not going to listen to you whine and try to help only to be pushed away." He sounded completely annoyed with me.

Then it felt like something inside me just shattered. At first, nothing more came but a few tears, but suddenly I started screaming, crying my heart out. I received nothing; no glance, no nudge or anything else, but what I did get, was a door slam.

I just sat there, tears falling like rain, and staring at the now shut door. _Ugh. I hate it all. Someone just…take me away from here…_

I curled up on the bed, finally lightening in my crying, and soon enough, I fell asleep.

* * *

I didn't awaken until late that night. My entire body felt strange, and I could feel pain deep inside my chest. I made no movements to get out of bed or do anything. I heard noise from next door, but I merely ignored it. _It's not like…he needs help. _I shut my eyes. _I hate all of this. I hate it! I already said I didn't want us to fight, and now we're only arguing more than before. Maybe I should just…stay away from him. Maybe next time that thing comes out it'll kill me and-_

/What are you saying? You want me to let that thing kill you?/

Barely surprised by the thought, I snapped back/You might as well. It's not like I actually have a real dark side to talk to anymore. Things are only going downhill and fast. You and I can't even get along anymore!/

/Are you upset?/

/What kind of question was that?/ I felt a sudden form of anger bubble up. /No, I just started crying because I felt like it and I'm so happy that we're fighting./ I replied, voice heavy with sarcasm.

/Let me tell you something. It's not like you're being nice either here. Just listen to yourself. You don't see me crying every time you're mean to me!/

/And you don't see me constantly being possessed and wings protruding out of my body either, now do you?/

/That's it. I've had it./

The door slammed open, and Bakura stood in the doorway, eyes deep with anger. The expression he had made me grow nervous; I slowly moved away. "You think it's all about you. I'm the one depressed, it's my fault, well guess what? No one cares anymore!"

"So what? Does it look like I need your help?"

"I think you will…" I saw him grin back at me then. He came forward, one step at a time.

"What…what are you doing?"

There was nothing but laughter, and then I noticed that the eyes were red. Choking down my fear, I merely stayed still.

"Why aren't you running away?" He asked, taking my face in his hand. He studied my expression for a second, then released me. "You're not afraid of what I'm going to do?"

"I…I am but…I'm sick and tired of everything around me, and they're sick of me."

"Oh I understand all right…I'll try at least to put you in the hospital…will that satisfy you?"

"Perhaps."

There was a brief amount of laughter. "You're not as much as a burden when you're upset with the world…I hope you know that."

My mind was empty as he came closer and closer towards me. There was just a glint in his eyes that told me he was up to no good. And then, I saw the object that made my blood run cold.

"Where…did you get that gun from?"

"Oh this?" He twisted his arm about, "I found it in your dark's dresser. It's a rather violent themed dresser, let me tell you."

He pressed me into the wall, and I could feel sweat beginning to trickle down my neck. I was afraid; my eyes focused on the object in front of me.

"Well, just so you know…you're probably never going to wake back up after this."

Images raced through my mind. He leaned forward, so his face was right in front of my own. "Don't be so nervous…this will only hurt…for a second."

I shut my eyes, and at last I heard a thought. /Ryou fight back!/

/…No. He can do it if he wants./

/Ryou, don't be stupid! He'll kill you!/

/…What's your point?/

I heard a loud shot echo throughout the room. I eased my eyes open, but no blood came from my body. Instead, I could see a puddle beginning to form around his feet. "Ryou…you're…such an…idiot…"

He was panting, and as I peered closer, I saw his eyes were dark. His hands were twitching, and in one, he still had the object, hanging loosely in his grip. Blood leaked through his shirt and ran down his sides.

"Bakura…did you…"

"Yeah…I…jumped in…and…made him hit me…instead of you…you probably…won't…be alive…if…"

He coughed, sending blood splattering onto the floor. "Crap…" He mumbled, sinking to the floor and clutching an area around his chest, which was covered in a big splotch of blood.

"Are…you going to be okay?"

He shrugged lightly, body shaking. "Hopefully…I will…but…some shot…isn't going to…kill me…" He grinned lightly, and then I saw his eyes roll back a little, and he collapsed onto his side upon the now bloodied floor.

"Bakura! No…" I found my eyes starting to swell up with tears. I took him by one arm. "…You've got to see a doctor!"

"You're…forgetting…about…my…wings…" He said, breathing heavy.

"But…but you're…going to wind up dying if I don't…"

Thousands off thoughts raced throughout my mind. _What do I do? If I just patch him up, will be all right? And is he…going to die?_

"No…I'm…not…just…" His voice faded off, and I sat there crying, gripping his hand, which was now covered in the red liquid, legs in the growing puddle of blood.

* * *

Chapter 17 : End.

Next time: The shooting has only created more problems for the two boys. Bakura, who is weak and wounded, is supposed to stay and in bed and rest. Ryou, who is only more upset about it all, is trying to take care of him. But since he keeps locking away his emotions, they begin to group together, and eventually, he begins to have an extreme emotional breakdown. Also, it turns out that the two of them are both drained of their strength and are constantly exhausted. Bakura, who's not supposed to be up, loses his control due to not having enough energy to maintain it, and starts to hunt down the tired hikari once more. And this time, both of them are too exhausted to actually fight back, so how will Ryou get out of the situation, and how will Bakura manage to regain his control?


	18. Growing Difficulties

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Well, I'm trying to keep updating daily, and so far, it's working pretty well.

Anyway, about the other story...I'm going to do it...but none of you are going to get the details until later. :)

Onward!

* * *

Blood was staining my jeans and hands from before. I was now crouched over, trying to wrap a bandage around my other's body, but he was constantly twitching and jerking. His shirt was nothing more than a bunch of ripped fabric, and his coat was lying nearby. The blood was still flowing from the open wound, and the puddle around his body was only growing.

"Bakura, hold still!"

He started to speak, but only tightened his grasp around his chest. His eyes were tightly shut, and his body was still flinching. Holding him by one shoulder, I wrapped the bandage around him, starting next to my hand and going diagonally until I met his waist, and then I continued until the bandage ran out.

By this time Bakura's grip had loosened, and I could tell he had fallen unconscious. At first I was hesitant, but I finally hauled him up and carried him upstairs.

* * *

I had cleaned up the blood and I had to scrub my clothes to get it to come out. Bakura was up the next day, but when he started to come downstairs, I told him to go back to his room.

"Just give me a second."

He went into the kitchen, and he reappeared soon, a glass of water in one hand. He climbed back up the stairs and shut the door behind himself.

I was so tired, but I had to keep pushing myself to go forward. But I was starting to think that I was being pushed past my limits.

I climbed the stairs and peered into Bakura's room. He was sitting upright and merely staring off into space, eyes and head cast downward.

"Bakura…are you all right?"

He didn't answer, so I went up to him. Only then did he notice me. "What do you want?"

"…Nothing. You're just spacing out and didn't answer so I thought…well, anyway, I need to talk to you." His eyes focused on me. "About what?"

"I just…don't want us to keep fighting. I know I already told you, but it only seems like we're arguing more and more." Pausing for a second, I gripped one arm in my hand, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "And I really think we need to work something out about the entire demon situation. It's only…getting worse. I mean, you keep losing your energy and control, and I really think all of this is effecting us both."

I received no response, so I continued. "You're always acting so angry, and I have to keep my distance from you. We're both getting hurt and losing our strength, so I really think we need to work out a solution."

"…Angry? Who says I'm angry?"

"I know, but you're always-"

"I'm always what?" I saw his eyes flash red once, and they quickly changed back. "Who cares if this is damaging my personality? I don't."

"But I do."

"So we're back on the it's all about me page, huh?" He seized the half-empty glass and hurled it at me.

Letting out a small noise, I quickly ducked, hearing a loud crash behind me. I looked over my shoulder to find the glass shattered into small pieces, a small amount of water there with it.

"What did you do that for?" I felt no fear, but instead I could feel a deep feeling of hurt and anger.

"All you're starting to do is saying how **you **feel. How you're upset and wanting to stop, and so on. You don't see me constantly whining about the situation!"

"I don't even know who you are anymore!" I screamed back, now standing up straight. "YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!"

"MAYBE I WANT TO HELP YOU!" I shouted, now taking step after step towards Bakura. He was silent, but held a deep glare with me. I leveled out a glare of my own; anger was rising higher and higher to my surface. "YOU HATE ME!"

Screaming as loud as I could by now, I was now standing next to his bed. "AND I HATE YOU SO EVERYTHING WORKS OUT!"

Storming out of the room, I slammed the door as hard as I could. Raging into my own room, I also slammed that door. I sunk to the floor, legs brought up to my chest. I slowly started to cry; I just felt so miserable. Eventually the uneasy feeling became unbearable; I started screaming as loud as I could, tears running down my face.

_Man…I hate all of this. I HATE IT! Why do we keep…getting into fights? Why can't we just get along for a while? I mean he does have a demon lurking in his soul but still…_

My thoughts were broken. I was still screaming, and I now stopped. I still felt horrible though. Nothing was helping, not even the crying or screaming. I pressed my head against the door, completely silent, no more tears coming from my eyes.

"…Maybe I should just…let him destroy me…" I mumbled, closing my eyes.

I heard loud crashes from the other room; I merely ignored them. _He can take care of it himself._

At first, there was nothing but silence, and then I heard something slam against me door. "OPEN IT!"

Heaving a loud moan, I opened the door. Bakura was in the doorway, panting. "You might want to-"

"Now you listen here. I'm not leaving or listening to anything you have to say. You're not listening to me, so I'm not listening to you. You hate me, and I hate you back. Now get out of my doorway."

"But Ryou-"

"I said get out!" I lost control then. I wound up punching him, hitting the spot where the bullet wound was. At first I felt no guilt, but when he instantly fell to his knees and started to grip it, I could feel the slight guilt settling in my stomach.

I heard him cursing under his breath at me. Blood began to slowly show through the bandages. "Now you made it bleed again you…"

Swinging out, he knocked my legs out from under me, sending me crashing to the ground. He was on top of me, and started hitting me. I let out a long scream of pain, but it didn't even make him slow down or lighten up on me. Despite the fact of him being weak, he could still fight me.

By the time he stopped, blood was starting to trickle down certain parts of my body. Cuts and bruises were now decorating my body as well, and on my face I could feel a big spot of pain.

"Bakura…do you…really hate me this much?" I asked, voice cracking slightly.

I received no response. "Well guess what? You can deal with that demon inside you ALL BY YOURSELF because I'm sick and tired of you PUSHING ME AROUND!"

At first there was silence, and then a chuckle of laughter. "You seem to be pretty angry nowadays. What's bothering you?"

"None of your business. Besides, you wouldn't understand."

"Humph, a little moody are we?" The set of red eyes stared back at me, along with a smirk. I felt no fear at all, besides the fact the demon had now taken over.

"Now what do you want me to do today?"

I couldn't answer. I was just so exhausted. My vision grew foggy and my weakness started to grow. "I don't know…I'm already…so tired…"

"Fine then."

Pain rushed throughout my body; I let out a cry. Blood was flowing, and I could see long cuts now there. "What…are you doing?"

I saw a glint, and through blurred vision, I could see that it was a piece of glass from the one that Bakura had thrown at me. Blood was dripping off the edges.

"Does it hurt?"

I grinned back at him. "Nope. I think you can do better than that."

The pain started to climb higher and higher, and eventually, I felt him tear at my bandage. "No…wait…"

But he ignored me and I could feel my entire arm go numb with pain. I could feel him forcing the sharp object into the already large wound, dragging it and twisting it, making it worse. Blood was pouring out by this point; I slowly began to feel my surroundings fade away.

/Fight it Ryou. Fight back!/

/Fight back with what? I'm so tired anyway…/

He slowly lifted up my head, and pressed the bloody object under my chin, pressing it into my flesh. "Should I go ahead and kill you?"

I had no strength to even mumble an answer. I could feel blood slowly trickling down my neck from where the glass was pressing. I shut my eyes, and I could feel everything fading faster.

/Ryou get up…/

/No…I can't…/

/He's about to-/

/Mind your own business…it's not like…you care what happens to me anyway./

/But Ryou…/

"Pay attention. I want you to feel it…"

I felt a great amount of pain slice right through me. I eased my eyes open to see my shoulder bleeding greatly, but barely any blood came from my throat. I made my eyes focus on him; he was bent over, clutching his wrist, which held the glass. "The stupid…"

"Why…didn't you…kill me?"

"I tried. That dark side of yours tried to take control and forced my hand in a different direction…but trust me…this time…I won't miss."

And he didn't. My chest filled with an even greater pain; I could feel blood running from it. The room was spinning out of control by now; I knew something bad was happening, because I felt like I was suffocating. At first I only started to breathe heavily, but then I started to cough like crazy.

_What's going on? Why am I…?_

He leaned forward, "It's called going into shock, meaning you're close to death by this point. You've lost too much blood in the past few days, way too much."

My strength was gone, but I was now so weak I couldn't even move on my own. The only movement was my body beginning to twitch uncontrollably. The room spun around one more time before my vision started to go out.

"I'll let him see you…before you move on."

I felt something touch my arm; the only thing I could possibly do was let out a small, strangled noise. "Ryou, can you hear me?"

I reacted with the same sound. I felt him squeeze my arm; it made the pain worse. /Just hang on okay?/

I saw the floor get lower; I realized what he had done. I watched as the stairs went past, and I knew I was on his back. /…I'm…sorry…/

/…I am too. Ryou, look, I really am. I should've-/

/It's…okay…/

There was a brief silence, and then I commented. /…It…hurts…/

/Just hold on./

/That's…the problem…I…can't…stay awake…anymore…/

Using the last bit of energy, I sunk my fingers into his shoulders. /Bakura…I'm…scared…if I…close my eyes…will I…ever…reawaken?/

/ I'm not going to let you die, all right?/

I didn't hear what else was said. Exhaustion and pain had completely engulfed me. Blood was still traveling from wounds, dripping onto his back and the floor.

/Bakura…I…can't…I'm so…tired…and it…hurts so…much…/

The room faded into nothing but pitch black. I could hear Bakura screaming my name, and shaking me lightly, but I had nothing left to answer or make a response.

* * *

Chapter 18 : End.

Next time: With energy constantly gone, it's a struggle for the two boys. Ryou seems to be the weakest one, barely having enough strength to move. He is still pushing himself, and this time, he passes his limit. Bakura, who seems to be slowly gaining strength, but then loses it due to control issues, decides to help Ryou. Why? Because now, Ryou is stuck in his room, having to stay in bed and sleep, as a shot at him regaining a little strength. Also, it seems that due to Ryou's wounds constantly being reopened and deepened, that he may be at risk for it not being able to properly heal if it isn't left alone. And...it seems Bakura's personality is going downhill. His attitude is changing, and he is being even more negative than usual. Also...it seems there's a new quality added to Bakura, who is at a growing risk for becoming a permanent demon. And time for saving Bakura from his fate of becoming a demon forever, is only growing shorter.


	19. Viewing a Flashback

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Hooray, a new chapter! Lol.

Well, I'd just like to say thanks again to all of the people reading and/or reviewing...you guys really keep me going when I write, to let me now that some people are actually enjoying my stories.

* * *

Easing my eyes open, I could feel deep remains of pain pulsing throughout my body. I was still extremely tired, and as I was about to fall back asleep until I heard the door open. Struggling, I managed to look at the doorway to find Bakura standing there.

"…Seems you're finally up."

"…I'm still…really tired," I murmured, keeping my body flat upon the bed.

"Does it still hurt as bad as before?"

"No…but it still hurts…"

There was a pause, and then he spoke again, "I should have listened to you."

"I already you it's okay. It wasn't your fault…because I think your control was already slipping out of your grasp."

There was a long amount of silence, and then I heard a few footsteps. I found Bakura now perched at the other end of the bed, legs dangling off the edge. He wasn't looking at me, but instead at the floor. "…You'll have to stay in bed until later."

"But why?"

"The way your strength is gone, there's no way you'll be able to go through the day on your own. That's why I want you to stay here and sleep…hopefully you'll regain some energy."

"But Bakura…"

He didn't answer, but instead grabbed my wrist and pulled me upright. I found my shirt practically destroyed; through it I could see a long, thick bandage wrapped around my chest and others around other parts of my body.

"You're lucky…" He pointed at the spot where the wound was on my chest. "He didn't hit your heart…but he came pretty close to it."

I didn't answer. I was that close to dying…and Bakura was the one to save me. It seemed so…strange. I felt my hands clutch the sheets of the bed, the uneasy feeling resettling inside me.

"…What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh…it's…it's nothing…but it just feels…awkward that…" My voice carried off into nothingness, and there was a long amount of silence.

"…So…you mean that since we had just gotten through fighting…and then I helped…it feels out-of-place?"

I merely nodded. I heard him laugh aloud, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, but I do see your point."

I tightened my grip; it all felt so weird that we were suddenly getting along, but for how long would it last? As I sat there, I felt Bakura's grip on my wrist growing tighter and tighter. Finally pain began to creep through my wrist. "Not…so hard…you're hurting me."

"…Sorry…" Releasing me quickly, his hand went to his chest. Standing, he went towards the door, "Just get some rest all right?"

He vanished from sight quickly, and I was left alone. _His wound must have been bringing more pain…that's probably why he was clutching my wrist so tightly, and why he ran out of here so quickly._

Shifting my position, I felt my dizziness return, and I fell backwards, hitting the bed with a muffled thump. I stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes, unable to fall back asleep, and an idea hit me. Climbing out of bed and stretching briefly, I walked out into the hallway, and finding it empty, crept into Bakura's bedroom.

Looking around, I found the black jacket tossed on the bed. Taking it, I retreated back into the hallway, and searched until I found what I was looking for. Glancing over my shoulder, I went back to my room.

Pulling myself back into bed, I pulled his coat over my legs, which were crossed, and started to patch it back up. I had grown used to sewing things; I had to fix my own clothes once I became alone, which caused many puncture marks appear on my fingers.

Murmuring to myself, I took my time and was soon halfway finished repairing. I then heard a loud crash beneath me; startled, I jumped, and fumbled to pick up the items I dropped. After I managed to calm down, I started my work once more, but soon after things had grown quiet, my bedroom door slammed open. I jumped once more; this time I felt pain in my hand. Wincing, I found the needle injected into my wrist. Gently I pulled it out, making a line of blood come from the pierced area.

Glancing up, I found Bakura in the doorway, breathing heavily. I noticed that his wings were raised, and the fangs were protruding from his mouth as he breathed. "We have a problem."

"Two actually," I replied, now clutching my wrist. "And yours would be…?"

As he looked up at me, I wound up inching back. His eyes were completely crimson; the only other color was the pitch black of his pupils.

"Have they…been like that?"

"Yeah."

"And they won't change back?" He shook his head.

I pondered it for a second, and then I remembered the bleeding of my wrist. I jumped up and took a bandage from my dresser and tied it around, and then sat back down.

Bakura had found his jacket by now, and lifted it from the bed. He seemed to study it for a second, and then glanced at me, "Did you do this?"

"Yes, but I'm not finished yet."

Setting the object back down, he kept his eyes focused on the wall. "…You do understand what's happening to me right?"

Finally he stared at me with the set of red eyes, "My time is…running short."

"I know…but how are we supposed to do anything? How are we supposed to get rid of it?"

"…I don't know."

"That's my point. If we don't figure out something soon…then you'll never be able to change back."

There was nothing but pure silence. I decided to break it. "…What if…you'll be more than a permanent demon? What if he's not telling us the entire story?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is…he's saying that you'll be a demon forever…but what if he's lying and you'll really never exist after that because he'll get your body?"

"Ryou-"

"What if it's all a lie? What if you don't…live that long? What if-"

"Ryou! RYOU!" He seized me by the shoulders and shook me until I was quiet. "Look. I'm not going to let any of that happen…okay? We'll get rid of it…I won't let it consume me…"

I felt uneasy as I stared back into his blood red eyes. It just…didn't feel like I was looking at Bakura anymore.

/You know he's lying…he won't be able to stop me…/

/Get out…/

/Make me…I'll lurk inside your mind for as long as I want./

/I said get out!/ I clamped my hands over my ears.

/No…there's something I think you've wanted to see…for a long time…and I'll show it to you…/

Pain suddenly throbbed throughout my body; I let out a scream before I collapsed onto the floor, and before the entire world went black.

* * *

"_Get away from me!"_

"_Come…I won't bite…much."_

_Water was everywhere; I suddenly saw Bakura's face, and for once, he didn't seem calm as he splashed through puddles and darted around trees. Eventually, he fell to the ground, clutching his chest, and panting._

"_You're tired already? How sad…"_

_The cloaked figure loomed over Bakura, as if a massive shadow. "Now be a good boy…and stay still."_

_He was snatched off the ground easily, as if weightless, and thrown against a tree, and held in the position. "Get off me!"_

_Bakura was forced tighter against the trunk, and the figure leaned closer to his face. "Don't be so cold…I told you…this will only hurt…for a while."_

_He lashed out, but Bakura continued to struggle, and managed to hit him. Breaking free, he ducked, sending slash marks throughout his clothes. "Crap. I missed."_

_Screaming started to be heard throughout the area, and Bakura lay on the ground, body soaked with water. Blood was pouring from a gaping wound, which was located upon his back._

_Feathers were appearing, falling to the ground and getting destroyed by the rainwater. "Why won't you die?"_

_Bakura yelped again, as the figure's leg appeared upon his wound, pressing his foot tight down upon it, as if stomping on a hated object._

"_Fine…I won't kill you…but I will…do this." Lightning flashed across the sky, making both forms appear as nothing but shadows. Bakura, body partially limp, was being held, feet kicking slightly in the air. Blood ran down his body, dripping into puddles and onto the soggy grass._

_The cloaked form, gripping Bakura's shirt collar in his hands, had his mouth around Bakura's neck, blood leaking down it._

_Bakura, eyes wide with pain, was now completely still. His hand was the only thing moving, and was giving off a slight twitch. His head was curved upwards, and a small, strange noise came from his throat._

_There was a grin upon the figures' face, and through the smirk, a set of white fangs were visible, now covered in blood, injected into his throat. He then let go and let Bakura fall to the ground in a heap, and then his grin widened at the sight of the now unconscious Yami spirit. "Sure…I may not be classified as a vampire…but that's how I get my work done." Kneeling down next to him, he ran a finger along his face, smearing blood across his pale cheeks, and sinking his nails deep into the fang wounds, making them widen, "And now…you're my new host."_

My eyes flashed open then, and I sat bolt upright, feeling sweat trickle down my face. I was breathing heavily, and my heart was pounding inside my chest. I tried to speak, but my words soon got caught inside my throat. "B…Bakura-"

"What is it? What happened?"

I didn't answer, trying to regain my breath. "You just fell unconscious…"

"Bakura…he just…he just let me see it."

"See what?"

"That day…when he attacked you!"

Bakura's crimson eyes widened a little; then he took me by one shoulder, "Tell me…tell me what happened…I can't remember. Besides…maybe it'll give us a clue to how to get rid of it!"

* * *

Chapter 19 : End.

Next time: Ryou tells the story, which takes Bakura by surprise. It seems that neither of the two boys know what the figure actually looks like, because each time, it's nothing but a shadow. Ryou, who is now suffering more often due to flashbacks that aren't his own, starts to break down. Still weak, school comes once more, and when things start to take him into past times, along with the pain and the weakness, will he be able to take it?


	20. Seeing Erased Memories

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Sorry I didn't update yesterday; I had some things to catch up on, but now I'm back on track!

I'd like to say thanks once more to everyone reading/reviewing. You guys rock!

* * *

Tired as I was, I forced myself to go to school. The day was long and hard, as I kept constantly almost falling asleep and feeling the remains of pain in my body. It was rather warm outside, but due to me not wanting anyone to see my bandages, I had to keep on my jacket.

It was lunch, and as I sat there, the pain suddenly throbbed. I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to ignore it, but soon enough, I felt it getting stronger. _What's going on? Why does it suddenly…hurt so badly?_

/Bakura…/

/What?/

/It…it hurts…but why is it suddenly hurting? It wasn't…doing this earlier…/

/Maybe it's just-/

But his voice suddenly faded away from my mind; there was nothing but silence inside my head. /Bakura? Bakura!/

Getting no response, I was silent for a few seconds, and then the stabbing of the pain increased until the room faded away.

* * *

"_Of course not…you should know better than that."_

_Pressing against the wall was Bakura, standing, but hunched forward as if he was getting ready to fall. "…What…__**are **__you?"_

"_That's none of your concern. What I think you should be worrying about…is what __**you're**__ going to wind up being."_

_Blood began to slowly run through his shirt. "Then…what are you doing?"_

"_I'm going to borrow you for a while…but unfortunately for you…you won't remember this conversation."_

_Bakura, eyes wide, pressed further up against the wall. The figure loomed over him, face close to his own. "But don't worry…you won't feel anything…after it starts."_

_Grabbing him by the throat, there was a sudden flash, and then Bakura straightened. "Well now…seems that he's such an easy one to possess."_

_Walking over to the windowsill, he slid the window open, only to glance over his shoulder. "Hello?"_

_Footsteps started throughout the room, and they soon lengthened. "Bakura! What are you doing?"_

"_Nothing…" He leapt from the window, and took off. But the running soon ceased, and he soon took a jump off the ground. He hovered for a second, and then, with a smirk, went off through the darkness, sending feathers to the ground._

_It much later when he landed, and was a bit off the ground when the control was dropped. "Humph. I guess I'll have to wait…"_

_After the control was left, Bakura fell like a rock, hitting the ground with a thud. His eyes were closed, and the wings were gone, leaving the gash visible. His eyes flickered, and he pulled himself to his feet, using the support from a tree, only to flop back down. He leaned back, and soon, his eyes closed once more._

_A voice was heard, and soon enough, my form came into view._

"_Bakura? Hey!"_

_There was no response, but a lone feather was found, seated upon his lap. _

* * *

My eyes opened, and I found the room still bustling with people. I sighed in relief knowing that I didn't miss anything. But I soon drew back in shock at the set of eyes staring back at me. I swallowed hard, now staring Yugi in the face. "What happened? You just…fell forward."

I didn't know how to respond, so I choked out an answer, "…I'm…I'm okay…it's nothing."

"Bakura…I know you're hiding something from me. People just don't fall over onto a table like that…and your eyes are showing it too."

_Oh man…what do I do? I can't tell him…I can't!_

"Really, it's nothing." I didn't wait for a response. I darted out of the area, feeling the pain in my chest return. _No! This…it can't be real. It's…it's only my imagination._

But as I thought that, the pain only grew worse. Racing throughout the halls, I ran into the bathroom. Staring at my reflection, I soon saw it change. Seeing the smirk, I drew back. Blinking, I found that the change in my shape was only in my mind, but the pain was not unreal.

/What's wrong? Is this too much for you to take?/

/Get out!/

/Don't be so negative…/

/I said get out! Get out of my head!/

/Make me./

The pain only grew; I clutched the sink in my hands. /GET OUT!/

/Humph. Why should I listen to you?/

My body started to shake uncontrollably, and I kept my hands clenched tight over my ears. _Make it stop…make it go away!_

/Hey! Ryou!/

I eased my eyes open and found Bakura in a false form. He had his transparent hands on my shoulder, and as he stood there, I felt the uneasiness grow.

"I can't…take this anymore…" I sunk my nails into my jeans, "It hurts…why does it hurt like this? Why won't it stop?"

"…Someone's coming."

At the sound of footsteps, he quickly retreated. I peered over my shoulder to find the same person as before. _Why won't he just leave me alone?_

Annoyed and now filled to the brim with suffering, I turned away and looked back into the mirror. My cheeks were now pale, and I could start to see my eyes going blank. Blinking in disbelief, I tried to focus on the reflection, I found that my eyes were indeed losing all brightness and the pupils were fading. My vision began to fade; I felt my grip tighten. _No! NO!_

My knees suddenly buckled; I felt myself start to fall and the room went pitch black. But soon enough, I could see again. I looked around quickly; I was lying on the floor, but not in the same place. Gazing throughout the windows of my eyes, I found that Bakura had taken over as I had fallen.

He was standing upright, staring Yugi directly in the eyes. "…What happened?"

"Nothing. I'm fine, okay?" I could tell Bakura was extremely annoyed, more than I was. I knew he didn't like my classmate at all.

At first Yugi was hesitant, "Are you sure? You're pale…"

"I'm always pale."

"Yeah, but-"

"I'm fine all right? I just have a headache."

"Then why did you rush out of the room like that?"

"Now why do you think I'm in here?"

Turning on his heel, Yugi left. I sat in silence in my soul room, watching, and then the door swung open. Pain continued thumping throughout my body, and suddenly, I felt a jolt run through my chest.

Bakura entered and sat down next to me. "What happened?"

"I…I don't know…but…I he showed me something else…"

"Tell me later. Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere…it…hurts so bad…"

I tightened my grip on my clothes. "Bakura…make it stop…"

"I don't-"

"Just make it stop! I don't care how, just make it go away!"

"But Ryou-"

"Please Bakura…it hurts…I just…want it to stop…"

Feeling my body growing weaker, I fell back, but was caught. Bakura had me by one arm, clenching it tightly. "Ryou…I can't just make you go numb. It doesn't work that way."

"Then…knock me out…do something…anything…**please** Bakura…" I was begging him by now. I saw him bite down upon his lip, pondering, and blood started to trickle down his chin.

My mind suddenly went blank and the room dimmed, as once more, I was forced to view a memory that didn't belong to me.

* * *

_The room was in darkness, making everything seem invisible, due to the shadows. A small spark of light came into the room, and is seeing through a red filter, everything visible was like that. It was soon figured out that it wasn't the lighting, but blood that stained the room, along the wall and the floor._

_Bakura, breathing heavily once more, leaned slightly back against the wall. As he pressed against it, it only caused more blood to appear. The curse was mumbled under his breath once more, but it only seemed to make things worse, because a light wince escaped from his throat, and he tightened his grip upon his waist._

_The footsteps were light and slow; Bakura lifted his eyes from the floor. "Humph. Still tired? Fight back…"_

_The only response was a growl. "I'm guessing that's all you can manage?"_

"_Shut up," Bakura snapped back as a response, tightening his grip again._

"_Why don't you make me?" He smirked back at the Yami spirit, who only leaned further against the bloodstained wall._

"_Let me ask you something…what are you anyway? A vampire?"_

"_Nope…I'm not really __**specified**__." The last word was sounded with a deep mysterious sound to it; as if trying to trick him._

"_Specified?"_

"_Meaning I don't really have a class…vampires, werewolves, things like that…but I don't have one."_

"_Then…what are you? It's obvious you're not normal."_

"_You'll have to figure that out on your own."_

"…_What did you do to me? Why can't I remember anything…after you forced me out?" The question was muffled, and Bakura's legs started to buckle; he tilted._

"_Your memory…is blank when it comes to me. You can never…remember anything about me…" He leaned forward, "How sad. So after you get forced out of your 'body'…your memory just fades into nothing. I hate to disappoint you…but sometimes…other memories will go along."_

_The heavy brown eyes stared back at the set of blood-red ones. The grin widened; "What's the matter? Can't talk?"_

_Bakura growled again and swung out, but was only seized and thrown to the floor. "Not good enough…"_

"_Get off!"_

"_Nope. Why don't you go back to sleep for a while?"_

"_Don't you dare-" The sentence was interrupted. Bakura's head fell down, thumping back upon the reddened floor._

_At first, there was nothing but pure silence. Then the form spoke again, "I already said…I'm not classified as a vampire…but there's no way…to possess another without jumping inside the soul."_

_He bent down, the shadows starting to widen and spread around the room, making it dark once more, "And the way I go inside a soul…is the way I did to you…"_

_Snatching up Bakura by the shirt and throwing him effortlessly across the now darkened room, he continued to speak, despite the fact the dark was unconscious, "Biting…is the main way I get things done around here. I know other ways to jump into a soul…but biting someone…is one of the easiest ways…" Feathers fell once more to the ground, "And it seems…that it worked on you as well as my other hosts."_

I forced my eyes open, finding the room lit once more. The crimson eyes stared back at me, and I stared back. "If only…we could have known that sooner," I whispered.

"Known what?"

"All of it…that he was never really a vampire or anything like that…and kept wiping your memory along with-"

"Hey, slow it down a little."

The pain in my body was still there, but not hurting as much. "Bakura…why is it that I keep seeing things that aren't even mine? These…'flashbacks'…"

"…Just tell me everything…start from the beginning…when it all started."

It took a while, but I had managed to spill out the entire story that I had viewed. "Then…that's what that was?" He fingered the place on his neck as if in thought, and then he glanced at me.

"We can talk about this later. Do you…want your control back?"

"…I guess." I was still feeling bad, but when I had slipped back into my body, I found that it was almost time to leave. /Bakura? How long was I out of it?/

/A few hours./

Making no other comment, I glanced around to find myself in one of my late classes, and I headed for the door.

* * *

I swung open the front door, glancing around. Bakura was sitting upon the couch, with his right leg crossed over his left. He was staring at the floor with almost blank eyes, and didn't even glance up at my arrival.

"Bakura?"

"…Hey."

"What's wrong?"

"…I was thinking about what you said earlier."

"…And?"

"…Nothing…I was just…thinking." I could tell something was drilling at him, but he said nothing more.

"If…you say so. I'll see you later." Dragging my bag up the stairs with me, I suddenly felt my legs grow heavy. The room spun and I collapsed onto the staircase; I let out a yelp of shock, only to have to room go pitch black, and this time, no images entered my mind.

* * *

Chapter 20 : End.

Next time : Time drags on, and more erased memories flood Ryou's mind, knocking him out each time. Bakura starts to figure out that his hikari is being pushed to an edge and tries to calm him. All the while, time ticks shorter, and Bakura's control is slipping. As the time slips, the two are only becoming in worse condition, and the one suffering most: Ryou. Constantly, the pain stirs, and the images flood. Ryou continues to try and fight, but it seems like he's failing. The exhaustion only seems to grow; Ryou continues to push himself in thousands of ways, such as trying to help Bakura, forced to view memories that don't belong to him, not being able to sleep at night, and overall, still trying to continue with his life. Will Ryou finally break under it all, and what about Bakura? Will they finally figure out a way to save each other from the demon lurking in the shadows of Bakura's soul?


	21. All They Can Take

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

I don't really have much to say, but if anyone is wondering how long this story is...don't ask, because I don't know yet, but I do know it will probably be less than 30 chapters. Anyway, I'll continue now.

* * *

/Ryou! Hey, Ryou! Get up!/

I could hear him, but I couldn't see or feel anything. Darkness was the only thing visible; I felt around and was greeted by a cold, icy feeling. Blinking in the shadows, I reached out again, and this time, a little light came into view.

I could see the large, iron door in front of me; as if taunting, it stayed in place, shut. Grasping the metal handle in my hands, I swung the door open.

The room was also bathed in darkness; I took a few steps forward, and then I bumped into something. I rubbed my face, and then after blinking I felt it nudge against.

"Look who came…it's the hikari again."

I felt a touch of fear stirring up; the voice sounded all-too-familiar. I took a small step backwards, but was seized. "Where do you think you're going? Don't you want to see what that Yami spirit of yours looks like now?"

I swallowed hard, feeling completely nervous. Without hesitation, he began to drag me effortlessly, deeper into the darkness. It grew colder, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. He finally stopped and pushed me forward, still clutching one wrist.

"What do you think?"

Blood was in puddles and smeared across the walls and the floor. Feathers were discarded, soaking in the crimson liquid. The darkness remained, and I strained my eyes for a better view.

The grip went away, and I took a few curious steps forward, hearing the splatter of blood beneath my shoes. I reached out, and heard a sort of wince. I glanced over my shoulder; he was smirking.

"I'll have to turn on a light…" Snatching up one of the many unlit candles, it suddenly lit, sending a small glow throughout the corner. A loud, strangled noise escaped my throat. I took one stumble-like step forward, hands out in front of me.

"Bakura…"

At his name, he opened his eyes slightly, but did not lift his head. "…Ryou?"

"Bakura!" I regained my senses and ran up to him. Chains were around his wrists, and I was unable to free him from the binds.

"Ryou stop…" The movement of my hands only made blood start to trickle down from where the chains were locked around. I noticed that he was sitting on the floor. His clothes were ripped in several places, and blood soaked through the material. "Bakura…how long has it been like this?"

"…Not…that long…" He closed his eyes for a long time, and was deathly silent, but then started up again in a low tone, "A…few days…I think."

I couldn't bring myself to answer. _But…if this is his soul room…shouldn't that mean that his body should be like this too?_

"Nope. This only shows how much he's taken already that's pushed him to an edge. Pretty soon…it'll only become worse." A small amount of laughter came from behind me, "Eventually, the spirit may become too weak and merely fade…"

"No…"

"Yes. And when that happens…well, I either stay and keep the host's body or…merely leave it to die…" This caused him to laugh harder.

"No! You can't…you can't do this!"

"I can. Besides, it's not like you're going to do anything about it."

I felt my grip tighten. I looked back at Bakura, who once more had his eyes open, but they were downcast. He seemed completely exhausted, but it was as if he hadn't sleep in forever. The dark eyes blinked once, and closed once more. This time, his head slumped forward a little, and it seemed as if he had fallen asleep.

"Bakura?" Getting no response, I lifted his head up a little, "Bakura answer me…"

"…He can't hear you."

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing…but all three of us in here may be sucking up more of the small amount of energy that he has left. Also…didn't I tell you already that this reflects what he's already felt?"

"You mean you channel all of his pain and suffering here?"

"Exactly…so you should know…his condition is only going to get worse. Let me give you a warning…" He leaned close to me, and I could hear the amusement in his voice as he whispered in my ear. "A little over a week…it's all you have left. And after that time runs out…everything is going to end. Everything…"

"No! You…you can't!"

But as I clung to the chains that were bound to my dark, it seemed hopeless, because I was snatched effortlessly off the floor, thrown over his shoulder, and tossed out the room. The door clicked shut, and I heard the lock turn.

"A little…over a week? It's…all the time I have left? That's it?"

* * *

My eyes eased open; I found Bakura hovering over me. "You're…still awake?"

"Yeah…but I'm…getting really tired…"

"Bakura I need to talk to you," I said, sitting up.

"About what?"

"…Your time…"

"…I told you I think it's running out."

"It…it is…Bakura…you only have a little over a week left…" I choked, feeling my hands clench up. Bakura didn't answer, but instead look away. I heard him mumble a curse once more, and he suddenly looked at me in the eyes.

"But what can we do? How are we supposed to get rid of it?"

"…We need to figure out something…it's almost…too late." I managed, looking away. I didn't want to stare at the red eyes any longer.

Getting nothing but silence, I looked over once more. Bakura was sitting, and his eyes were closed. The gentle movements told me he had either fallen unconscious or was merely sleeping.

I took him the rest of the way upstairs and put him in his room, and then went to my own. Collapsing onto the bed, I let out a long sigh and stared up at the ceiling. "I can't believe it…it just…doesn't…" My voice trailed off, and I rolled onto my side, but I couldn't fall asleep.

Restless, I climbed out of bed and sat down at my desk, shaking the mouse to my computer. I sat there for a while, searching about what came into my mind about the situation; those 'classes' he was talking about, trying to see which one was fitting the description closest. The silence was not there, due to the music I had turned on.

Finding nothing even close, I let out a long moan. I was starting to get discouraged. "Why does it have to be so hard?" I murmured.

"Because…he made it that way." I whirled around to find Bakura standing in the doorway. "When did you…how long were standing there?"

"A few minutes." He rubbed at his hair with a hand, leaning upon the frame. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I can't sleep…"

"…Oh…" He came inside and flopped down on my bed, staring at me with the crimson eyes. "So, what are you doing?"

"…Just…doing some research," I mumbled. There was a pain that came, hitting me like a ton of bricks. I let out a wince, and put a hand to my forehead. "Ryou?"

Letting out a noise, I felt it increase. "It…it hurts…"

"Ryou…hey! Ryou!"

I couldn't answer. There was a sudden feeling inside me, something I've never felt before. I shrunk down in my chair, pulling my legs into the seat. I clasped my hands over my head, feeling the pain starting to climb higher. I started to cough then, and when I removed my hands from my mouth, blood was pooled, deep red.

I let out a noise before coughing again, and I felt the touch on my shoulder. "Hey! Ryou…tell me what's wrong!"

"…N…nothing…"

"Don't lie. Tell me…"

But I couldn't even make a sound, because I wound up coughing once more. My body was shaking tremendously, and I felt a sudden chill, as if the room had dropped in temperature. I felt something upon me then; I looked down to see a blanket tossed over me, but it was as if it wasn't really there, because I was still just as cold.

And then, just as the pain reached the unbearable point, I felt something inside me break like a piece of glass. I let out a long scream before slumping and falling from my chair. Bakura lunged out and grabbed one arm, but he wound up falling, and I landed on top of him. I continued to scream, feeling the pain rising. It seemed to be running over; I felt my hands clench up.

_What's happening to me? Why does it hurt so much? Why do I…suddenly feel so miserable? Am I…only imagining all of this?_

/It's not unreal…/

/What are you doing to me?/

/Me? I'm not doing anything…you're merely breaking down./

/What?/

/Think about it…have you counted how many wounds you have? How much blood you've lost? All of your physical, mental, and emotional suffering and pain is building up…and now…your body and your spirit…can't take it anymore. You've passed your limit…/

Clutching on part of Bakura's clothes and my own, I let out a lone cry before the world went pitch black. "RYOU!"

It was the last thing I heard, and the form of Bakura's face was the last thing visible; and for a second, I thought I saw a touch of worry in his eyes. Breathing heavily now, I felt like I was bleeding, like I was falling apart, but I knew already, that I had dealt with all I could take, and it pushed me overboard, and that I couldn't be falling apart, because I knew that my soul was probably already broken.

* * *

Chapter 21 : End.

Next time : Ryou, who had been pushed way too far, is now unconscious. Bakura, somewhat worried, is now beginning to grow anxious about the demon inside him. Days narrow down, and soon enough, time is growing thin, and Ryou remains out of it. Bakura, wondering why he isn't awake, learns from the form in his soul that his hikari will not awaken in time to save him. Bakura, now on his own, keeps trying to awaken his light, but the only thing he receives is silence. Time slips down, leaving a mere two days left. Bakura is now more desperate than he has ever been, and begins to feel something strange happening inside of him. Also, deep in the shadows of his soul room, the chains only tighten, and more blood falls. Both boys are weak, and if they don't figure out something soon, time will be nothing more, leaving them both completely worthless to fight back.


	22. Not Much Time & Willing to Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Well, I just want to say that it may take a little longer to get the newest chapters up. Since the story is easing towards an endpoint, I'm trying to make things more interesting for you guys. :)

* * *

I remained on the floor. Ryou, limp, was on top of me. I forced myself upright, moving the unconscious form of my light. There was a voice in my head, almost like a deep whisper in my ear/You know…that he's been trying extremely hard to help you…and there's probably nothing you can do now to help him in return./

There was nothing but silence then. Moaning, I dropped Ryou onto his bed, and went back to my room, as something strange beginning to stir in the pit of my stomach.

* * *

Days had slipped past, and Ryou remained unconscious. I had to admit that I was growing nervous by this point: there was only a slight amount of time left, and I knew it. Two days: it was all that remained. I was staring up at the ceiling, sitting upon the couch. _What am I supposed to do? It seems…impossible. And Ryou is…_

I sighed. _How did I meet up with that demon anyway? I…I can't remember._

/Ryou…can you hear me?/ Receiving no response, I tried again/Ryou come on! Answer me!/

/…He can't hear you. Other than that…your hikari will not awaken in time. You're on your own…/

/Lair. He will wake up…I-/

/No he won't. You do know that forty-eight hours will be up before you know it…and if you don't either find a way to wake up that weakling you call an other for him to help you, or figure out how to get rid of me, you'll be nothing more than a memory./

I didn't answer. I could feel that peculiar sense from before stirring; I clasped a hand around my forehead. _What's going on? What…is this feeling?_

I felt it suddenly grow; I forced my body into a smaller form, tightening my grasp. Now curled up on the couch, I let out a noise before the room grew dark.

* * *

"Are you awake now?"

My eyes flickered open, and I saw the darkened figure looming over me. My wrists were numb; I found the locks that were shackled around them were only growing tighter. I couldn't even move my hands without the metal cutting deeper into my skin. The chains themselves only seemed to shortening; I couldn't lean forward as far as I could before.

"What do you want?" I growled, yanking slightly on my binds, which only made them cut into my flesh. "I have something to show you…"

"And that would be…?"

He pushed something against me; it fell like a rock, landing upon my legs. Straining my eyes slightly, I could make out the slightly trembling form upon me. "Ryou?"

He didn't answer me, but I could feel him shaking. He didn't move otherwise. I lifted my gaze, "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I told him already…he broke down. He passed his limit…and now…the strain became too great…and he won't awaken until the stress upon him lightens…which may be…never."

"You son of-"

"Now, now…there's no need for **that**…" He ran a finger across my face, causing blood to trickle down once more.

"Why…is it that I can't see what you really are? You're always…shadowed."

"Maybe that's all I am…a demonic figure…covered by darkness."

At first, I didn't believe it was real, so I replied to the voice. /Ryou?/

/Don't…please…Bakura…/

I felt a sudden grip on my jeans; I forced my eyes downcast. Ryou, still covered in the shadows, had one hand tightly gripping a part of my clothing towards my ankles.

I yanked once the binds once more, feeling the cold metal sink further into my skin. Ignoring the fresh pain, I pulled harder. The coldness went away; my wrists grew warm and even number; I could slightly feel the blood that ran down my arms. _I have…. to get free._

Relaxing for a second, I leaned back all the way, and gave a yank with all force. At first, nothing happened except for the blood running down in streams, but then I felt the locks grow tighter and tighter; I winced aloud, the metal cutting deeper and deeper into my flesh. But I continued to fight against it until it grew so tight and painful I couldn't take it anymore. Exhausted, I fell backwards.

"Tired are we?"

"No…I won't quit."

"You will…I can tell you're out of strength."

"No…I'm…not," Giving a final tug, much weaker than before, I felt the chains suddenly grow shorter in length, causing me to straighten, arms starting to be yanked above my head. _Crap._

/Bakura don't…fight it…you're…only making…things harder…for yourself…/

/Quiet. I'm trying to-/

/Please…just…listen to me…/

I was too tired to struggle anymore. I felt the wall bump against my back, but right when my eyes started to close, that feeling churned, bubbling up to my surface. Visibly flinching, I tried to grab at my chest, but the binds only held me back.

"Pity…seems you'll be stuck in that same spot…until you die."

"Then…I'll prove you wrong…"

Giving a last struggle, I flung myself outwards. Growling, I strained as far as I could go, using all force. Finally I became too tired; I started to slump, I heard a strange noise. It grew louder; there was a creak, and suddenly I felt the floor beneath me.

_What? _Moving my wrists, I found the locks still around them, but I was now able to move my arms. I lifted my head slightly, feeling blood drip from my cheek from where it had rubbed off from the puddle upon the ground. Not having nearly enough strength, I collapsed back onto the floor.

"Humph. Seems you broke it…" He seized one end of the chain, for I could hear the rattling, and gave a sharp tug, making my body flinch. "At least this will make it so you can't do anything…"

I heard more rattles, and then, struggling, I peered over my shoulder to see the two ends tied together. The reddening metal seemed to glisten with the bloodstains in the darkness. Exhausted, I merely closed my eyes, feeling my consciousness slip out like a dying candle.

* * *

Easing open one eye, I found sunlight pouring into the room. /You have less than twenty-four hours Bakura…less than one day left before the end./

Climbing out of bed, I went down the hallway and opened the door to Ryou's bedroom. He was not there. "Ryou?"

Glancing around, but not finding him, I continued down the halls, and then I could hear running water. Pressing one ear to the door of the bathroom, I knocked upon it, but received no response. I creaked the door open, and found Ryou hanging over the bathtub, still fully clothed. His waist was leveled on the rim, and the rest of him was hung over. "What are you doing?"

Receiving no response, I stepped over to him, and finding the water approaching the brim, I turned the water off, since my hikari seemed not to notice. I tapped him on the shoulder, and still received no response. Only then did I notice the redness of the water.

Blood had mixed in with the clear substance, dying it red. I found Ryou with his hair and part of his face submerged under the odd-colored depths. Taking a towel, I tossed it over his shoulders and forced him upright. He didn't even look at me, hair drenched with water, now tinted red from the blood.

"Hey," I took him by the chin and lifted his face, "Look at me."

But he still didn't. "Ryou look at me already!"

Finally, in a barely audible tone, "I…don't want you…to die…"

His hands suddenly grasped the now soaked towel that was draped around his shoulders. "Then…then…" He suddenly started to cry; I felt a frown appear upon my face.

"Ryou…don't cry. There has to be a way to-"

"But what if there isn't? What if…we both just…"

"Just listen to me…there is a way. We'll find it…we won't fail. Okay?"

Wiping away the tears, he merely nodded. _He cries…way too much now. It never used to be like this…I had rarely seen in cry in the past. Is it because…of all the strain and stress?_

A cold chill suddenly ran down my back; I flinched. That sense bubbled up once more; I merely ignored it, at least, I did until it grew so great I could barely stand it anymore. _What's going on? Why does this keep happening to me?_

I coughed, clutching around my mouth with a hand, finding it now filled with blood. Releasing Ryou, I leaned over the sink, starting to cough up the familiar substance once more. "What…were you doing?" I managed to spit out the sentence, but with much difficulty. I could feel the blood trickling down my chin.

"I…I'm sorry…"

"No…it's…it's okay…" I started coughing harder now. I could feel that sense rising higher and higher until it brushed the edges of my chest. I felt a gentle touch upon my back; I visibly flinched.

"What's wrong?"

I only leaned more over the rim of the sink. My entire body was shaking like crazy, and then I heard the whisper. /Hurry up Bakura…/

_Crap. What am I supposed to do? Obviously Ryou can't do anything…he's too wiped out. And it looks like I'm on the brink of that route as well. I'm only…becoming too worthless to fight for myself._

"Bakura."

Curving my body forward even more, I only felt worse. The shiver ran down my spine once more; I felt the trembling increase. /You're already feeling bad? Such a pity./

/Shut up./

/Make me. It's not my fault you're such a weakling./

/SHUT UP!/

/Angry are we? Don't worry…time is ticking…you're almost out of it. Soon…the finals will begin./

/What?/

/You'll find out. You have until midnight, Bakura./

* * *

And soon enough, night fell. I kept glancing at the clock. _Half an hour left._

Neither Ryou nor myself came up with a plan to get rid of it, nor how to defend against it. We were completely screwed, and we knew it.

Ryou sat on the floor, nervously biting at his bottom lip, eyes set upon the clock. There was nothing but silence, and the ticking could be heard throughout the room. _Ten minutes…_

I felt my hands clench up. I eyed Ryou, whose eyes were filled with worry. I couldn't blame him for the feeling. He suddenly bit down harder upon his lip; I eyed the clock. Both of the hands were set on the twelve.

I choked down all fret and got up. The shiver ran down my spine once more, but as I tried not to flinch, I did. Ryou brought his legs up to his chest; he now had his eyes kept upon me.

The lights began to flicker in the room; on and off, and eventually, they all died. The room was in nothing but darkness. I heard a few footsteps; a small glow suddenly appeared in the room. Ryou hovered over a now lit candle, the shadows dancing across his paled face.

"Both of you…have no common sense. I told you that it would be over at midnight…and you are still sitting here." Light footsteps began to echo throughout the mostly darkened area.

Ryou suddenly pressed his back against my own. I let him, my eyes moving about the room. I felt a heavy blow come to me, and I was knocked right down to the floor. I heard Ryou yelp; he fumbled outwards and tried to help me up.

I suddenly felt the numbness in my wrists; the image of the chains cutting off my circulation appeared, fresh in my mind. I could feel a heavy weight upon me, and then the voice that I recognized quite well snarled out at Ryou, "Put that out!"

Ryou, hesitant, glanced at the candle. /Listen to him. Put out the flame./

He did as he was told, and soon enough, the room was bathed in nothing but pure darkness. I felt a touch upon my neck; it was cold and felt peculiar. There was a sharp pain, and I could feel the warm fluid of blood starting to trickle down.

I couldn't move my arms; they were pinned down. My legs were being sat upon as well. I struggled, but it was worthless.

"You had your chance to get away. Now it's all over Bakura…you're me now."

Pain was all I could feel. My body started to jerk; I heard Ryou's voice. "Leave him alone!"

Straining my eyes through the darkness, I saw Ryou seize the form on top of me. "Get off me you little-"

With a mere swing, he knocked Ryou backwards. But my light only came running back, and this time, to my surprise, he tackled him. "Ryou, don't! Get away from-"

I was too late. With a quick jerk, Ryou was sent to the ground, and let out a cry. I could see him being pinned down. "Since you're so eager…I'll kill you first."

_No. No more. I've already…put him in danger too many times. _Staggering upright, I placed a hand upon his shoulder. I saw him look at me with hate-filled eyes through the darkness.

"Don't hurt him."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"…I'll…let you have me. Just leave him be. You can have everything that I own. Do what you want. Just leave Ryou alone."

"…Fine."

In a quick movement, he snatched me off the ground, slamming me into the wall. "You're such a soft guy deep down. Sacrificing your own life for someone weaker than you…moron."

"Bakura!"

"Stay back Ryou. Don't come over here."

"But Bakura-"

"No excuses. Just stay there."

Bracing myself for whatever was about to come, Ryou's voice tore through the partial silence. "BUT YOU CAN'T GIVE YOURSELF UP JUST TO SAVE ME!"

"I can…and that's what I'm doing. You'd better enjoy yourself, kid."

"But Bakura…" His voice was cracking. There was a peculiar noise; almost like a whimper as I heard him trying to hold back.

"You'd better not cry."

"…But…but Bakura…I…"

There was a long hesitation, "I don't want…it to be this way. Please Bakura…"

"It's too late. There's nothing to do. It's **over**."

There was a weak cry like noise, and then I heard him burst out in tears. I didn't show any emotion. I didn't fight back. I felt the pain steadily climbing; the room continued to dim. I was shoved to the ground, and I heard Ryou still crying. I was still conscious, but I couldn't make the slightest movement.

The final thing I heard was: "When it all fades away…and the darkness engulfs you…you'll never reawaken. No light will pierce through. You'll be nothing…"

Shutting my eyes, I listened as I waited for my senses to fade away.

* * *

Chapter 22 : End.

Next time : The finals are on. Will Bakura and Ryou be able to somehow fight off the demon, or will the two only fail and become engulfed, or killed, by the darkness? And is Bakura really going to become a permanent demon? And what about Ryou? Will he stop Bakura from falling unconscious, or stop him before he sacrifices all he has just to try and save him? And what other plans does that demon spirit really have up his sleeve?


	23. No Longer & Promise

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

I kind of already said everything already so...yeah. I guess I'll just go ahead and start...

* * *

My eyes were set upon the now motionless form of my other. "Bakura…"

Tears continued traveling down my face. Not receiving any response, I tried again and again, but the result of pure silence only made me cry harder.

"…That dark half of yours…is a complete idiot." I felt his glance become fixed upon me. "It's pointless to sacrifice your own life to save someone much weaker than yourself."

"What do you know?" I snapped back, "You don't understand. You just don't understand!" The substance continued to run down, and I could feel my body trembling.

Gathering what remained of my courage and strength, I forced myself to my feet and staggered towards my other. I flopped down upon the cold floor, body still shaking.

Straining my eyes in the darkness, I struggled to see what was in front of me. I ran a quaking hand down the side of his face; I could feel the blood that now decorated my fingers. Cuts and other injuries lined his body, such as thin cuts upon his face. Staring hard through blurred vision, I could see his eyes slightly open. The eye color remained a pale red; shadows of black were creeping into them. It was as if his eyes were fogging; I could see them steadily going blank.

"Bakura…" I tightly shut my eyes, feeling only more hot tears flow down my face. I reached out and took his hand; there was no heat. As if a piece of ice, it was freezing cold, and the color was drained right out, leaving nothing but a deathly pale shade.

I could feel my sudden anguish beginning to engulf a part of me; it felt like I was dying myself. I squeezed his hand tighter; I felt so upset. I could do nothing but cry and mumble out his name, "Bakura…answer me. Please Bakura…"

_Why? Why didn't I try harder? If I had done so…then maybe…we wouldn't be so deep in this mess. And why do I have to be so weak? I always…get rescued…and me being saved…makes it harder for others. The have to sacrifice even more to help me…I'm always in the way. And why did it have to be Bakura? Why us? Haven't we been cursed enough?_

I swallowed hard, trying to choke back some of the tears. _Bakura…I'm so sorry. I'm sorry…for everything. I've…really done it now…me being so worthless…cost you everything…I'm so sorry Bakura…if only…_

I felt my grip tighten even more. The feeling in his hand only grew colder; I knew what was happening. Suddenly, I heard his voice. /…Don't…say…that…you're…not worthless…/

/Yes I am! Look where it's gotten us now!/

/Ryou…I did…this…for you./ There was a long pause, and then he started up in a lower tone. /You…still have a…life to live…you're only…sixteen…/

/But…/

/Just…listen to me…he'll…probably…take away…my body…and send my soul…somewhere…and I may not live…through it…but…since…I sacrificed myself…you should…be out of harms way…/

The shadows in his eyes lengthened, covering well over half of them. Still straining my eyes, I could see his chest beginning to rise and fall more slowly, shaking when he breathed. The breathing was growing weaker and more rattled by this time.

"Bakura…no. Don't go…"

/It's…too…late…/ I could barely hear him now. I whimpered aloud and sat him upright, "Please Bakura…DON'T GO!"

"I…already…said…it's…too…" He stopped. I looked down at his eyes; the darkness of shadows completely engulfed them. As he began to fall limply back, I saw his eyes roll backwards a little. "No…"

"DON'T LEAVE!" I screamed, feeling my tears now pouring from my eyes. His own eyes were now closed, mouth slightly open. Feathers were shaken loose and drifted to the floor.

"Please…don't leave…"

Bakura suddenly fell limp in my grasp. The coldness of his body pressing against my own was strong; I could feel nothing but the icy touch. I sat there, breathless, and suddenly his eyes eased open, just barely.

/Ryou…/

/What is it?/

/…I…I hate…how this…ended…I…actually thought…we had…a chance…to return things to normal…/ Bakura's form began shaking like crazy; he coughed repeatedly, the familiar substance of blood splattering downward, getting upon our clothes and the floor. /…Look…I…just…wish I…didn't…start this…to begin with…/

/It's…not your fault…/

/You know…it…is…/ His eyes shifted upon me. /You'd…better…stay…alive…and…/ But he never finished. His eyes were closed once more, and his face was drained of all color. "Bakura?"

Not receiving a response, I gently prodded him on the shoulder, "Bakura…hey."

As I moved my hands away, his head instantly fell backwards; I had to quickly catch him before he collapsed. "No…you can't…"

The past images replayed instantly inside my mind; the limp form, all the blood, the breathing…it was all too clear. Only…in the memories…he was only unconscious…but this time…

A single noise escaped my throat before I began to cry again. "You can't die…"

I seized Bakura in an embrace, using all force I had. The coldness brushed off against me from his body; the icy feeling. I could see his head hanging limply over my shoulder, pale. "BAKURA YOU CAN'T DIE! YOU JUST CAN'T!"

_He's gone…he…he can't be gone! HE CAN'T BE!_

The ring itself suddenly lit up; it broke from the strap, and fell to the floor with a clatter. /Hold…onto that…for me…/

"Humph. You can't bring him back. There's nothing you can do, kid."

With a trembling hand, I picked up the ring from the floor. I held it tightly in my hands. "Shut up. What do you know? This is all your fault anyway!"

"It's yours as well. Just think what would've happened if you had listened-"

"SHUT UP!" I felt my grip tighten; the sudden warmth barely fazed me. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US!" I was screaming at the top of my voice at him.

I felt the pain inside my hand growing by extreme measures. I knew what it was; I looked down to find blood flowing from a wound in the palm of my hand. The shards of the ring dug deep into the flesh from where I was gripping it. I eased out the pieces, leaving blood upon them, also making blood flow faster from the spot, and examined the wound I had made.

Blood was dripping onto the floor; I could hear the constant sound it made, as if it was lightly raining. "Let me ask you something…" His tone had a twist of amusement, "Do you like seeing yourself in pain? Do you enjoy being so upset and angry?"

I heard footsteps echo inside the room, "And that's all that happened before; pain and difficult emotions. You should be glad he's gone. It's less of a burden."

"Liar. Bakura wasn't a burden for me…I was one for him." I stared him directly in the eyes, no longer crying, "Bring him back."

I heard laughter, "Nope. He gave it all up just so you could be safe, and I agreed. I'm sticking to my agreement." He smirked at me, showing the fangs, "Which means, you're on your own. Bakura is not coming back."

"You…"

"And I'm taking his 'body'. I've already become fond of it anyway…" He laughed again, and then his grin widened even more, "That Yami spirit of yours…will soon…fade from existence. You already knew he was only a spirit before, sealed in an item…but now that his soul is not tied to anything, and has nothing to inhabit…it's going to **whither and die**."

He began laughing; I couldn't block out the haunting laughter. All the memories began to pour in, one after another, ever since it began. And none of those flashbacks…belonged to me. I clasped my bloodied hands over my ears, trying to tell myself I had to be dreaming. Trying to explain that it wasn't real. But then I realized that all of it was real…and nothing could change it otherwise. Nothing could bring me out of this nightmare; it was a permanent one.

"You…you said…that Bakura was going to become a permanent demon…"

"…What's your point?"

"If his spirit isn't here anymore…then…"

"You don't understand anything. It means his 'body' is going to have permanent demon inside of it…or if he somehow manages to come back into his own 'body'…then remains of the demon qualities…will cloud his soul forever."

Vision fogged by tears, and mind clouded with mixed emotions, I let out a growl. Setting Bakura down, I staggered to my feet. "You must be satisfied…you have basically everything now."

"…I'm not leaving…I still have one thing left to do."

He appeared next to me and seized Bakura's throat, lifting his chin upwards. "It's like I said before…I can jump inside by biting a person, like most other darker forms can…but this…is my way of taking permanent control."

He tightened his grip, and as he dug in his nails, Bakura's eyes flashed open. His eyes had no color, no pupils, nothing; just pieces of darkness. There was a flash, and then nothing. The room was empty, other than the limp form and myself. "…Bakura?"

No answer, so I tried again. Gently, I prodded him upon the shoulder. His eyes suddenly opened; he grinned and grabbed the edge of my collar. "Foolish boy."

"Let go!"

"Oh I will…but I need to do something first…" Slamming me against the floor, I felt a sudden jolt of pain run through me, and the area started to suddenly dim. "I don't want you to be awake anymore…I'm sick of you being in my way."

The pain eased away, and I could see everything blurring. Unable to even more, I could feel the interior of my body churning. Struggling to remain awake, I heard the lone whisper in my ear, "You have to stay awake…"

I managed to shift my gaze. There was a bit of white, smudging off into the air, and then I saw the transparent form, kneeling down next to me. "Bakura?"

I tried to get up, but failed. "Ryou quit moving so much. He's only-"

"I don't care anymore." I felt the inside of me twisting, "Why did you have to do that? Why? I…don't…want to be alone…"

It was growing harder to hold on. Bakura's voice was strangely a bit gentler than it usually was, "Ryou listen…I did it for a reason. I'll explain later…because I don't have much longer to talk. This is…nothing but my spirit."

"Why not?"

"…There's nothing left for me to grasp. It's like he said…my spirit is no longer tied to anything…so I'm like a wandering soul now…only…I won't be able to wander."

"Then…what's going to happen?"

"…From…what I've heard…I'm either…going to die or…merely be engulfed in the shadows."

"But Bakura…"

"You'll be fine. Don't worry about me, either, all right? I'll manage."

"No…don't leave…"

"I don't have a choice."

"Yes you do…" I forced myself off the ground, body starting to tremble, "Why can't you stay inside my body?"

"There's nothing that'll enable me to do so."

"Please…just try."

He merely shook his head. "I have less than half an hour to remain here. If…you can manage to free my body from the demon then…I may be able live and return to it. And if there's nothing possible to free my form from the demon then…I'll be forced to a fate. I'll have to leave…ending up as nothing."

"Don't say that! I'll…I'll get your form back…I promise. I'm going to get it back…even if…I die trying. I'm not…going to let you die because you sacrificed yourself to save me. No more."

Forcing myself to my feet, I began to stagger through the dark. I could feel Bakura's stare upon me. _Just give me that much time. I promise I'll get it back…and you won't have to leave._

* * *

Chapter 23 : End.

Next time: Ryou, driven to free Bakura's body from the demon, begins to try with all he has. Bakura, on the verge of being erased, watches, and tries to help, but there's barely anything he can do. But it seems that without another soul inside, the demon spirit is only stronger than it previously was. Ryou tries to fight, but his chances of winning seem extremely slim. He begins to lose all strength; the fighting seems to be going no where, because the hikari can barely even graze, let alone strike a full blow upon the shadow-like form. Will Ryou be able to kill it off on his own, or will Bakura be forced away, body permanently inhabited by a demon?


	24. Sealed, Destroyed, or Still There?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Sorry it's been taking longer than usual for updates.

Note : This is the next-to-last chapter in the story...which means chapter 25 will be the final chapter. I'm actually surprised by the time range for this: Around 2 months for 25 chapters. But I'm actually kind of sad that the story is ending...well I guess all things come to an end, lol.

* * *

Choking down the uncomfortable senses, I forced myself to my feet. I felt Bakura suddenly grip one arm; I pulled away. "I already said…I was going to get it back."

It was hard to speak, let alone stand. I felt lightheaded, and it was growing harder to stay awake. I ran a hand over my face, making the blood smear, but I barely noticed. My eyes then caught his form, starting to climb the stairs. Without a word, he continued upwards, not even looking down at me.

I darted after him, climbing the stairs as fast as my legs allowed. The area was still dark, and I almost fell a few times on the staircase. Glancing around, I managed to glimpse him entering Bakura's room. I continued on.

Slightly opening the door, I gazed inside. The room was also in darkness; as much as I strained my eyes, I still couldn't see. As quietly as possible, I crept into the room. Easing throughout the area, the sudden splash made me flinch. Gazing down, I could make out the puddle of blood; I frowned. I had a bad feeling stirring and I didn't like it.

There was a sudden shiver that flew up my spine; my gaze quickly shifted. That feeling grew stronger; I felt another gaze upon me. I knew I was being watched. _Why is he just standing around? Why isn't he acting out? Is he waiting for me to do something or what?_

I pushed myself onward, walking blindly in the dark. Pressing a hand to my forehead, I felt a chill run through my fingers. Finding a stream of light, I moved forward, finding the blinds to the window wide open. Moonlight flooded through the pane, spilling onto the floor. I pressed a hand against the glass, gazing into it to look for a reflection. I could briefly see my face; paled, bruised, and bloody. I blinked, shifted my position.

"What are you doing in here?"

I gazed over my shoulder, finding the figure standing in the stream of moonlight. "I have a right to move around in my own house."

"Humph."

I felt a sudden grip on my collar; I let out a cry. He reached past me and swung the window open and forced my head out. "How's the ground look?"

I swallowed hard. "Do you want me to push you out again?"

I didn't answer. He shifted his grip to my arm and forced my out further. I could see the ground below me; the wind began to pick up. I could feel my heart slowly beginning to pick up speed.

"Now tell me why you're here."

"…I…promised him…"

"And the promise will only become broken. There's nothing you can do."

He yanked me back inside. I shivered once at the sudden temperature change. "I…can do something…"

"Have you even looked in a mirror lately?" He pushed me to one side. I bumped my face against the newly found glass. _Why didn't I notice this before? …I guess it doesn't matter now._

I ran a hand down one section of the structure, leaving a line of smeared blood. Moonlight ran over the now brightened glass; I could see myself perfectly. I leaned deeper towards the reflection. _That's…supposed to be me? But…_

With a trembling hand, I began fingering my face. I could feel the damage; my hair remained a tinted, pale reddish-pink. The normal color of my eyes was not there. The normal deep brown had changed into a strange shade of gray. _What happened to me? Why do I…?_

And then everything disappeared from the mirror. I was staring at a blank sheet of glass…at least, until a new fragment appeared. I could see him…staring back at me. _Bakura…_

I pressed one hand against the glass. His frown only deepened, and I saw his eyes go crimson. But I couldn't look away.

I saw him reach out, hand bloodied, but soon I saw shadows engulf his form. The glass lightened; I saw him in a corner, blood pretty much everywhere. The chains I recognized remained shackled around his wrists. I saw his eyes slowly adjust on me, but he continued to tug on the binds.

And then there was something that I had never seen before. It looked like me, but there was something different. I knew it wasn't Bakura; Bakura never cried, no matter what terms. And the figure in the mirror **was** crying. _I don't understand._

Feathers lined the ground, but I couldn't see the color, no matter how hard I tried. Then I was yanked away; I tried to latch on to the glass with one hand, but of course it was useless. "Let me go!"

"No can do." He began to drag me away; I struggled to break free.

"I said let me go!" I swung out, but my hand was only grasped. The cold glare was directed down at me, "You honestly thought…you could hit me?"

I felt a strong pain run through my face. Fingering a spot on my cheek, I could feel a bruise forming. "That hurt you-"

"Humph. What did you expect?"

Grabbing the collar of my shirt once more, he twisted me in a full circle, forcing me to the floor. I tried to strike out, but no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't land a blow. Growling, I tried again, but he stuck me before I received a chance.

How long I was there, I don't know. But by the time he stopped hitting me, blood was beginning to trickle down my neck. I was so tired…but I couldn't break my promise.

Clutching one of his arms with a bleeding hand, I felt my own body shaking tremendously. "You humans…disgust me."

He twisted, freeing his arm instantly from my grip. "You become frightened so easily…tired so quickly…and die so fast…"

He ran a finger across a cut that was upon my cheek; I flinched. I only felt more blood trickle down. "Should I kill you?"

"No…don't. Let…let me ask you something." I was becoming desperate. "Why…why us? Why did you pick Bakura?"

"There's more than one reason…and none of them are your business."

"Are…you going to kill me?"

"No. I have something else for you…you're going to** become what Bakura is**."

I felt a sudden sense bubble to my surface. "You…"

"Silence." His gaze suddenly lifted. "You can come out now Bakura. I know you're here."

Silently, my other appeared from a corner, eyes downcast. "You've merely been following your hikari around? You've been letting him suffer…and not even trying to help him out?"

No answer. "Well fine. Just stand there and watch him ebb away…it's not hurting me any."

He lifted my chin, staring me deep in the eyes with the heavy glance that seemed like a glare. A grin stumbled onto his face, showing the fangs. "You can say goodbye if you want…"

I shifted my gaze onto Bakura. He was silent, not even looking at me. "You're just…going to stand there? Well…it's not that I can blame you…it's my fault anyway. Bakura…I'm sorry. I'm really sorry…that I couldn't bring you back before it was too late."

"Don't talk like that. Let him go."

"Why should I?"

"I said let go of him!"

How he did it, I don't know, but he brought the figure to the floor. /Ryou./

I glanced up, seeing him holding out one hand. I took it, and suddenly, everything went dark.

* * *

/Ryou. Ryou get up./

I moaned, easing my eyes open. The room was cloaked in darkness, shadows lengthening over Bakura's face. "B-"

/Quiet./

/…Where am I?/

/Well…my soul room I guess. But…it's not really mine anymore…/

/…But why?/

/…I'm going to need your help…to kill the demon./

/Kill it? How?/

"Visitors…how unexpected."

I glanced to one side, seeing the familiar shadow-like form looming nearby. I could see the feathers that decorated the floor; blood was in small puddles as well.

"Kill me? Now I really do know you think too highly."

"Shut up."

"It's always the same comeback…"

He lashed out, but luckily, Bakura was a bit faster on his feet, and jumped back. But I spotted the glint; I scrambled to my feet.

"Ryou get out of the way!" he yelled, still dodging the lashes.

"But Bakura-" I ran towards him, but I felt a pain in my back. I couldn't move; my body suddenly felt so heavy. I wound up dropping to my knees.

"Ryou!" I could only lift my gaze; my head wouldn't move. I spotted the familiar jacket; I tried to reach out, but I couldn't move my hands.

I saw blood forming around me, forming a circular form, just like a puddle of the red fluid. I drew in my breath sharply; it caused pain to rush through my chest. It began to grow hard to breathe, and my vision began to fog like a piece of glass.

_What's happening? It…it hurts…and why…is there so much blood?_

Bakura, eyes filled with a mixed look, gently sat me upright, still keeping me on the floor. I could feel his fingers running down my spine; I let out a noise, but I didn't have enough strength to actually sound out my words.

"What did you do to him?" I heard Bakura snap at the form.

"…Not much different than what I normally do." Through my foggy vision I could see the blood running down the blade that he clutched loosely.

"You…" I felt Bakura's hand tremble with a sudden anger; I could feel it…I could just tell he was mad. _I don't…understand. What does…he have against us?_

"Now move."

I saw the narrowed crimson eyes now in front of my own. "Maybe I should kill you…maybe I shouldn't…such a decision…"

A cold chill ran up and down my spine. I shivered visibly; I could feel it growing colder. And as I sat there, the puddle of blood was only growing.

"You're going to die soon anyway if you don't get repaired…that wound is going to put a major toll on you."

_Wound?_

"How much…damage did you do?"

"Well…I can't say exactly…put you do…" He paused for a second, and touched the throbbing area, "have a large gap in your back."

_He went through me? How far? Am I…going to be okay? No. This isn't about me. It's about returning Bakura to normal. I promised…and I said it didn't matter if I died._

He lashed out at me again; I went out myself. Blood began to pour down my arm; I was grasping the blade in my hand. "You little…"

He pushed forward; I tightened my grasp, only widening my new wound. I jerked on it, prying it from his fingers. With the last bit of strength I had, and using all of my force, lashed out. I felt Bakura holding onto my arms as I did so; and somehow, I managed to get a direct hit. Blood poured instantly onto the floor; I could see a large wound in the center of its chest.

/Bakura…I can't…stay…awake…/

/…What? Ryou you have to…/

/…I don't know…how much longer I can…/

/Just a few more seconds./

Light poured in; I saw Bakura seize him, hand pushing on the blade, making it sink further and further into his chest. Pushing him forward, he pressed him against the mirror; to my surprise, he began to sink into the glass. A small smudge of white remained; Bakura reached towards it, but I ran in front of him.

Pain…it flooded right through me. "Ryou…"

My knees buckled; blood fell harder. I could feel it flowing down my back and dripping off my fingers. Breathing heavier than I ever had, I screamed, clutching onto my clothes with my deeply injured hands.

I couldn't even ask a question, because just like that, my entire world went black.

* * *

Chapter 24 : End.

Next time : Too many blows had been taken, and it seems Ryou is left in a weaker state than before. Too much blood has been lost as well, so it turns out that the hikari needs to stay in bed. Bakura, who has seemed to force the demon into the mirror, explains it all to his light. But is the spirit completely sealed, or is there something else around? And it turns out that Ryou's views in the mirror actually reflect a different time...so, do any of those views reflect HIS future? What will become of the two...especially if the spirit isn't really gone? And if is gone, will the wings and qualities go away, or will they be permanent scars of the past? CHAPTER 25 (FINAL CHAPTER) COMING SOON!


	25. Wings & An Ending

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Wow, the last chapter is now up. Go ahead...I'm not going to slow you down with notes, lol.

* * *

Opening my eyes, I found light pouring over the floor, where I was seated. Blood was still there; the puddle had only grown. Blinking, I put a finger into it; blood covered it when removed. Shifting my gaze with my tired body, I gently called out for my other.

Receiving no response, I tried to get up, but couldn't. "Bakura?"

"Stop moving so much…" Glancing over my shoulder, I found the crimson orbs staring back at me. There was a solid, slightly injured hand now set on the ridge of my shoulder.

"…Bakura?"

"Miss me?" He grinned a familiar smirk; the fangs lengthened from his mouth. I didn't wait for another comment. I tried to reach out, but the pain in my back returned, sending me crashing to the floor.

Apparently he could tell I was having difficulties, because he took my arms and hauled me off the floor. I cringed as he bumped the area of my back; it made it throb worse.

"Come…" He began to drag me through the room. I noticed that he wore no expression; the wings still hung from his back, the eyes and fangs remained as well. _Then…nothing has changed…_

"There's something I want you to see." He gave me a light push. That familiar mirror remained in the same spot; the only difference was the light smears of blood. I reached out, but when I placed my shaking hand on the structure, the glass grew pitch black. I didn't move.

"…What do you want?"

The pure red eyes stared deep into my own. Blood was leaking through his shirt, and a wound was visible through the fabric. He looked at Bakura; his glare deepened.

"What's wrong? Mad that you're stuck?"

"Actually…I'm not completely stuck here." A grin suddenly appeared on his face; I felt a shiver run down my spine. "You already know…that a small piece of me will remain inside you Bakura…but it won't last much longer…and it won't cause you any harm. But that hikari of yours…"

He looked right at me, still smirking. "He's not safe…not even close."

"What?"

"Just watch…" With a sudden noise, I felt a pain rush throughout my body. I let out a cry and doubled over, clutching my chest. _What's going on? This pain…_

Coughing, blood soon dripped to the ground. I rubbed it away off my chin with a free wrist; but it only happened once more. I sunk directly to the ground, coughing like crazy and curled up, sitting upon my knees. _It…it hurts…why…does this keep happening? But there's…something wrong this time. This sense…_

I ran a finger across my face; no blood fell. _Then what's wrong with me?_

I suddenly felt the pain in my back growing substantially. "You see…there's something going wrong with him as well…"

"What are you doing to him?" I heard Bakura ask as a response.

"Nothing much. You remember earlier how he jumped in front of you? The idiot became my vessel…"

"You mean that that wisp was your small section of form left? And…"

"That's right. Your hikari took the blow…and I entered him. Now…you can see the results." I felt both of their gazes focus on me. I could feel the blood running down my back once again; I shook from the sudden chills I had.

Then the pain jumped, causing my body to go out; I fell down completely. I heard Bakura's voice, "Ryou get up!"

"…I…can't…"

I heard footsteps; but right before Bakura placed a hand upon my shoulder, I suddenly couldn't breathe. "Ryou…hey! Answer me!"

The touch only made the pain worse. /What's…happening? Why…can't I breathe? Am I dying?/

/What are you talking about?/

/I can't…breathe…/ I felt his grip on my shoulder tighten. I knew something was wrong. And then, everything shattered. The pain eased away slightly; but the feeling of blood dripping had increased. "Oh no…"

I struggled to look over my shoulder. I finally forced myself to do so; it felt like my heart stopped. It began skipping multiple beats; I felt my eyes growing wide. Bakura was staring too, but he wasn't reflecting much emotion. Maybe he was just holding it all in.

Feathers clung to the bloody spots on my back; and as I blinked, I saw the wings that were now hanging from my back. But, unlike Bakura's…mine were white.

_No. NO! This can't be happening…I…have wings too? How am I…going to go on with…anything? What about school? Wait. Why are…my wings white? Is this what caused my pain? And…that little piece of spirit…caused me to have these?_

"Ryou…I…"

"…So…this is how it's going to be…" I clutched an arm with a free hand, "This is basically…what I get in return. Fine…I guess I deserve it for allowing this to start in the first place…"

"Ryou…"

I started to cry; I suddenly felt weighed down with anguish. Bakura tried to place a hand on me; I jerked away. "Don't touch me."

"But…" He tried again, which only made me move away once more. "I said don't touch me!"

Forcing myself to my feet, I ran up to the mirror. Gazing deep into it, I could see my reflection. Tears were running down my face; my body was bloody, and my wings were hanging high above my head, solid white, and blood was upon them.

And then the image changed; this time, I did recognize it. It was Bakura and myself…and it was…raining. Blood was in puddles like always…and I was crying. There was a gaping wound in the center of my chest; Bakura loomed nearby, expressionless. Both sets of wings were visible. But as I reached out, the vision disappeared.

"Is that how you want your life to be? Dying…as someone you considered a friend won't be able to help? Well Ryou?"

"I…I'm…sorry…" I rubbed at my eyes; Bakura remained expressionless. "No, it's fine. It'll be okay. But first…"

He pushed me aside, and went up to the mirror. I watched, still struggling to breathe, as he gave the structure a blow in one corner. A few pieces dropped out and shattered upon the floor; I just stood there at first. "What…are you doing?"

"Breaking the seal." He pried a few more shards out, and then left the structure alone. Blood slowly began to trickle down his fingers. "There."

Vision blurred with dizziness, I felt my legs growing heavy. I ran a hand across my forehead, now staring at the floor. "Are you okay?"

"I…don't know." The feeling I had…I knew I was probably going to pass out soon.

"You've probably lost too much blood…" I heard a ripping noise; Bakura forced me to double over, and wrapped a bandage around, pressing against my back the best he could. He had to move the bandage in a different direction each time, due to the wings that protruded from my back.

"Done." But I couldn't sit up. I was too tired. I blinked once, but I was unable to keep my eyes open. I soon felt the room slip away.

* * *

It was partially bright in the room when I managed to awaken. I found as I moved my hands around, I felt the comfort of sheets beneath me. The room was set at a temperature I enjoyed; I tried to turn over, but found no strength to do so. I then heard a few footsteps, "So, you're awake."

Shifting my gaze, I found Bakura in the doorway. I heard the click of the lock, and the window opening. A breeze soon flew into the room, forcing me to crawl deeper under the blankets. "You're not sleeping all day you know…"

"…But…"

Without hesitation, he yanked the covers from my grasp. I shivered, the cold air from outside brushing over me. "Besides, I want you to see something."

He grabbed my wrist and began to drag me towards the window. He then let go; I felt a noise escape my throat. _It's snowing? But right now? Oh who cares? It's not that often that snow shows up…_

I seized the nearest jacket, quickly pulling it on. _Wait…how did…?_

I found my wings gone. "Bakura? Where'd they go?"

"…I don't know. Sometimes they'll just…go away." He placed a finger in the center of my back. "But I think you'll want them right now."

The pain was only slight this time, and I felt the objects now hanging partially limp from my back. "How'd you do that?"

"Do what?" I gave him a shove, getting a slight amount of laughter from him.

"Now come on." Bakura clambered into the sill and jumped. I saw the black feathers beginning to drift through the air, carried by the breeze. Bakura landed softly upon the whitened ground and called up to me, "Come on Ryou!"

I didn't feel any fear. I jumped after him, but unlike Bakura, I only fell, unable to control my movements. I felt a sudden tug upon my arm; he was hovering next to me. "Seems you need some practice." He gave me a grin, but I didn't see any fangs. "Where'd your…fangs go?"

"…Eh?" After a second, he answered in response, "No clue. Are my eyes still red?" I shook my head; they were back to the deep brown shade.

I hit the ground first. Bakura stayed in the air, leaning back partially. "…I can't believe it took this long to get rid of that demon…"

"At least we got rid of it."

"…I guess so. But you do know that a little bit is still in you and I, right?"

"I know. But it doesn't matter that much." After a few seconds, I asked another question, "Is there any way to control them? Like…whether they're visible or not?"

"There should be…but it'll probably take practice." He turned away. "It's…kind of strange. This…substance." He held the snow in one hand, "I've…seen it before but…"

"You've never been in it before?"

"I have…but it just…felt so different back then." The white puff melted into water, pooling in his palm. "…Bakura…"

The pain in my face occurred suddenly, and with such force that I fell onto the ground. Bakura grinned back at me. "You let your guard down." Another clamp of snow was being clutched in one paled hand, turning light blue from the cold.

"Huh?"

He hurled another snowball at me; I ducked, this time, hearing the substance slam against a nearby tree. "Why you…"

I was actually able to laugh, despite the situation of the wings we both owned. I could tell he was tired; I beyond exhausted by the time our 'fight' was over. He had nailed me more times than I could actually graze him.

I was now sitting upon the roof with Bakura, whose legs were dangling over the edge. "Bakura?"

His eyes were focused somewhere in the distance, but I couldn't tell where. He didn't answer, so I poked him. "Hmm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." He stood up and leaned back, stretching, then straightened. He gave a small jump, leaning back in the air, but his eyes remained on me. "Try it."

A bit nervous, I jumped. I was able to stay for a few seconds, but then fell. Yelping, I latched onto the edge of the roof, pulling myself back up. Bakura didn't budge, "Again."

Not as jittery, I gave a higher one, this time, being able to stay slightly above the structure a few seconds longer. I wound up falling on my back; but it didn't hurt much, due to the snow coating it. Bakura then landed beside me.

"Like this…" He demonstrated his version; I found it a little easier, but it was still difficult. He suddenly shoved me off; I began to fall. "What was that for?"

"Fly. Come on Ryou, the ground isn't getting any farther!"

Now I understood. Summoning what I had, I tried my hardest. I hovered for a second, and suddenly, I managed to steer myself upwards. "Oh…"

After a few minutes, with some difficulty, I managed to get back up onto the roof. "I HAVE IT!" I shouted it, throwing my clenched hands upwards.

"But you still need to-"

But I didn't let him finish. I seized his wrist and pulled him to the edge. "Can you help me some more? Please?"

_He's…being so patient with me. Why? Well…I guess…I should try to enjoy it before the impatience shows up again._

"Now…no, not like that. Other foot. Okay, now…"

After what merely seemed like minutes to me, but was really hours, Bakura had stopped teaching. He now stood a few steps away from me, and I was standing at the edge of the roof. "Go ahead."

Using what I had previously learned, I jumped. I fell only slightly, and using what he had taught me, managed to steer higher than where he stood. "I…"

Bakura grinned up at me. "Looks like you've got that part down."

"…Thanks…really. Thanks Bakura." I smiled, but suddenly, my body fell like a rock. "What's…what's going on?"

Bakura seized my arms, placing me on the structure. "What happened? Why…did I suddenly fall? I couldn't even control them."

"You need to build up some strength. It's probably due to the blood loss, and you probably have a lot of energy missing. Oh…and you might want to start eating a bit more. You're getting really thin." He poked me. I flinched; but I wound up smiling.

* * *

Bakura and I wound up keeping our wings; his black, mine white. It wasn't like we had a choice anyway. Every once in a while, the area around where they protruded from would bleed. It barely did so, though.

Bakura had taught me how to fly. Of course, I wasn't as good as he was. He could always last longer than I could. And if we had any type of contest, I always lost, unless he let me win.

I was taught how to control my wings. I was able to continue going on with my life; and when I wanted to, I would let my wings free. And once on the way home from school, I didn't feel like walking; I didn't take off the ground, just sort of hovered over the sidewalk a little. It felt so…relaxing sometimes, just to take off like that.

And Bakura had explained that the demon was killed in me…I had nothing to worry about. Since I was a human, he could possess me easier than Bakura. But I was somewhat…related to light. I didn't really understand. It still is. Am I part angel or something? Well…I guess as long as the demon in me faded away…it didn't matter.

No one knew what had happened; it was our own secret. Things had pretty much gone back to normal, despite that I sometimes had nightmares about the incidents that had happened in the past. Otherwise…everything was back to the way it was supposed to be.

_THE END_...

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The story is now complete. I really enjoyed creating this. I thank everyone who has reviewed, and have read this story. But to those who have read every part and reviewed for each chapter, I really thank you. You guys are so awesome. I'm really glad you enjoyed this. Thanks so much everyone!


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